Shion
by Minamoto Asagi
Summary: The LoveMe girls are entrusted with a task from Lory: babysitting. When they expected a child or sorts, they never thought they would be taking care of a 'Servant beast'. What exactly is a 'Servant beast? How would Ren and Sho react to the fact that a boy will be living with Kyoko? OC x OC with Ren x Kyoko and OC x Kyoko (WARNING! contain OOC elements) No Heels Siblings
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:** This is my first Skip Beat! Fanfiction, so please forgive me if there's any OOC parts to the characters. Please pardon my lack of vocabulary for I'm still in middle school.

**Disclaimers:** I don't own any of the Skip Beat! characters. Oh, but I do own my own characters.

Please enjoy!

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**Chapter 1: Prologue**

The morning in the Takarada mansion is as peaceful as ever, with only the large, living room occupied by a single man in his white bathrobe.

Takarada Lory is currently sitting before his ridiculously large wall mounted television, tapping an impatient finger against the surface of the coffee table just in front of him.

_Should I hold his hand? Or should I just kiss him? Hm… but wouldn't that be too straightforward? Hm… Here goes nothing…_

"Master, your guest has arrived." Sebastian, all wrapped up in his usual Arabian getup, appeared seemingly out of nowhere, and bowed.

Lory agonized over the 'Game over' thrown at his face in big, bold letters as he flung the game controller on the ground.

"It's very funny to see the messenger of love losing in a Dating Sims, Lory-sama." An amused voice called out from the doorway.

The dark haired gentleman looked back with his 'you-kicked-my-favorite-puppy' face, tears brimming in his black eyes.

Sebastian brought a box of tissue to his employer, in which the dark haired man spent them like waterfall.

After recovering, albeit with countless balled-up napkins lying around the couch, Lory gestured for the young guest to sit down opposite of him.

The guest, a young kid with neck-length ochre hair that was in a shaggy wolf cut and almond shaped blue topaz eyes, stepped on the used tissues without batting an eye and settled down on the couch across the elder.

"I suppose you know why you're here, Shion?" Lory asked while lighting up his cigar, definitely from an expensive brand.

The young boy smiled; scratching one of his fluffy, wolf ears protruding from his head, "Not really. Explain to me so that I know?"

Sighing, Lory took a drag from the brown tobacco, exhaling out the smoke, before letting a sly smirk pull his lips up.

Leaning forward, he pointed a finger at the boy, "I want you to play 'Cupid' with me."

Blinking, Shion stared dumbly at the still-posing gentleman for a few seconds before fishing out his cellphone and started typing furiously.

Frowning, Lory snatched the device out of the kid's hand and snapped, "It means to bring two people together as a couple, you idiot!"

Scratching his ear again, Shion huffed, "Why do I have to do this?"

"I heard you're still searching for _him_?"

Blue topaz narrowed into dangerous slits, "Are you threatening me?"

"Of course not, who do you think I am?" Lory pouted, crossing his arms childishly, "Well, even if you don't help me in this, I would still tell you where he is."

Shion sighed, shaking his head, "I may be a 'Servant beast', but I'm not heartless."

Dark eyes sparkled as the love messenger bounced up from his seat with a cheer, "If this ever succeed, I'll drag _him_ to you even if I have to beat him senseless!"

Shrugging, Shion turned to Sebastian, who handed a cup of tea to the child.

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**I will explain about 'Servant beast' in the later chapters, so please bear with me for a while.**

**Please R&R! **


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N:** I'm on a roll today! I finished Chapter 2 in the same day! I probably wouldn't update until I finish my finals (Start of finals: 17 Oct), but I'll try to store as many chapters as I can.

**Disclaimers:** **I don't own any of the Skip Beat! characters. I do own my own characters though. Sorry for the OOC. To be honest, I can't really stick to a certain personality, so let me apologize beforehand.**

Please enjoy the chapter!

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**Chapter 2: Red Riding Hood**

It was the usual day for Kotonami Kanae, with her nearly being assaulted by a flying Kyoko early in the morning just after she changed into her retina-burning hot pink overalls, followed by a polite greeting from smiling Chiori.

"Moko-san, Amamiya-san, do you have anything on tonight?" Kyoko asked as she pulled up the zipper of her overalls.

Kanae eyed her best friend (not that she's going to admit that aloud) skeptically while Chiori shot a curious look, "Why?"

"I thought it would be fun if we go shopping together once in a while."

Chiori scratched the back of her head as she smiled apologetically, "I'm sorry, Kyoko-san, I have to shoot a PV tonight."

At the word, Kyoko looked at the third LoveMe member cautiously, "Whose PV are you shooting for?"

"Fuwa Sho."

Kyoko's dark aura and demons erupted from her body in that instant, making the other two girls back up in surprise and fear.

_Damn you, Shotaro! If you dare to lay a finger on Amamiya-san, I'll—_

"Mo! Stop that will you! Are you going to bother listening to my answer?!" Kanae decided to help out, even if it'd be embarrassing later, "I'm going, okay?"

As suddenly as _those_ came out, they disappeared, replaced by the usual I-love-you-Moko-san-look as she hugged the older girl with so much enthusiasm that Kanae had to shove her away to breathe properly.

As if on cue, there were polite knocks tapping against the metal door of the room. All three of them stared at the door as if it was the most foreign object they'd ever seen in their whole life.

_Nobody_ would knock on the door so politely.

Being the bravest, Kyoko approached the door and opened it.

Her golden eyes grew as wide as saucers when she saw the pair of blue topaz eyes, and then the name she thought she would never call out in public escaped her lips as a whisper, "Corn?"

Tilting his head to a side, the boy blinked in puzzlement, "You want to eat corn?"

"Eh?" Kyoko snapped out of her trance and took a step back, only to see a pair of fluffy, ochre twitching and pointed wolf ears protruding from the boy's neck-length hair.

"EHHH?!"

The screams came from the other two LoveMe members (which was very rare for Kanae), who were watching their bravest friend open the door to reveal a pretty boy with wolf ears and wolf tail from the room.

Scratching his ear, Shion cringed at the high pitched screams, and immediately stepped into the room and closed the door behind him.

"It's nice to meet you ladies, I am Shion." He introduced with a sweet smile.

Kyoko's special 'Tsuruga-anger-antennae' shot up from her head, and she took another step back from the mysterious boy.

_He's angry! Why?!_

Shion sniffed the air, his ears twitching and flicking, before he bent to bury his nose against the crook of the orange haired girl's neck, inhaling her scent.

Kyoko tried and failed to stop a blush from spreading across her face as she stumbled backwards and collided into her friends, who caught her before she fell on her bum.

"Hm, so you're the Red Riding Hood?" Shion gave a friendly smile, his equally fluffy tail wagging slightly.

At the term used, Kyoko regained her composure and upgraded her defenses by sending her little demons to surround the boy, who seems to be able to see them.

"Do you know the Beagle?!" Kyoko questioned warily.

Tilting his head to a side again, Shion shrugged, "I'm not interested in them*."

"Don't you play dumb you—" Kyoko let her mouth agape and was at loss for words when she finally took in the boy's appearance.

"A-Are those real?" Kyoko pointed a quivering finger at his ears and tail.

"Hm? Of course—"

"Oh my god, they are real! Are you a fairy?! Do you know of the Fairy Prince?!" She started squealing with sparkling eyes.

Kanae and Chiori exchanged odd looks. Sure, they knew that Kyoko has the habit to wander into her fairy la-la-land at every little thing, but what kind of fairy has ears and tail like _that_?

Finally holding her still with arms around her waist after hearing her squeals and seeing the blur of hot pink twirling around him, Shion growled at her, "You talk too much, little Red!"

All three girls froze at his sudden outburst, though Kyoko once again failed to suppress another blush from emerging since she's held up two feet into the air with her palms resting on his shoulders.

The door slammed open, revealing Ren with Yashiro standing behind him, mouth agape.

"Mogami-san?"

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*****He's actually talking about the real beagles, you know, the puppies/dogs.

**Please R&R! :D**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N:** I forgot to mention that this series will be rather slow paced, with a lot of sentimental moments (I think). Plus, I actually wrote up to 4 chapters in my Microsoft words, wow. So I'm going to post them all up today, and then you'll have to wait until I got the free time to upload the rest.

**Disclaimers:** **I don't own any of the Skip Beat! characters. I do own my own characters as well. OOC probability is quite high, but I'll try to stick to their personality (I hope)**.

Please enjoy!

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**Chapter 3: Servant beast**

The day starts out as early as 6am, usually. However, it seems that these days, Tsuruga Ren has been having free early morning, and there was doubt that his 'capable' manager, who is also a not-so-secretive fangirl to his love life, did something to his packed schedule.

Yashiro Yukihito, as always, got into his charge's silver Porsche with his wide smile lighting up his already-happy aura, letting Ren see the impossible: blooming flowers in the background.

"Yashiro-san, did something good happen?" Ren asked as he steered his car from the car park.

"Nothing happened, but I'm sure something's going to happen." Yashiro replied nonchalantly, putting up his professional manager mask for a few seconds before it broke into another sly smile as he glanced at the bachelor, "With you and Kyoko-chan, even insignificant progresses count."

Ren took a few seconds to compose himself by reasoning mentally that smacking this meddling friend would not be wise, and thus flashed his gentleman smile, "Really?"

Yashiro cringed and cowered at the bright smile, knowing that the 'Demon Lord', as Kyoko had dubbed, is sure to be hiding just under his skin.

And so he kept quiet for the half of the journey to LME.

For the other half of the journey, Yashiro had to do some persuading, finally getting Ren to make his way to LoveMe department in hopes to get Kyoko to hitch a ride with them, but if he had known something like _that_ would happen, he wished he hadn't open his mouth.

But nobody could predict the future, and so Yashiro hadn't known why on earth his prediction did happened.

Sure, the manager wanted something to happen when it comes to the actor and his lady love, but no! He didn't need somebody else (not after Sho and even by a little, Kijima) to barge into their already-slow progress!

Even he couldn't believe his eyes, so somewhere in the back of his mind, he wondered what Ren was thinking about the display before them.

They heard Kyoko squealing something about fairies, and then suddenly a boy's voice snapped loudly, which resulted in Ren slamming the door open in fear that something might happen to Kyoko.

But… but, something like a wolf-boy carrying a blushing Kyoko in front of the other stupefied LoveMe girls… in the room… it's just too much!

"Mogami-san?" Ren had called out in surprise, his eyes widened.

"T-Tsu-Tsuruga-san!" Kyoko stammered in equal surprise and wide eyes.

Shion, seeing that the young maiden has calmed down, sets her down on the ground and turned around to face the tall gentleman… not.

The smile Ren is flashing at the moment almost blinded him, and he had to turn his head to a side to avoid the direct glitters from burning his eyes, more than the ridiculous hot pink the three ladies are wearing.

And then he saw it. The orange haired girl was cringing behind his back, as if he's the only shield she's got, which probably is true, seeing how the other girls has already escaped to their little conversation in the corner of the room.

"Who is this… friend of yours, Mogami-san?" Ren had questioned, tuning his gentleman smile up by one level.

Kyoko opened and closed her mouth multiple times, as if a goldfish. What was she to say? She just met this 'friend' for a few minutes!

…_Wait a minute… Friends?_

"Are we friends?" Kyoko asked the boy, suddenly forgetting all about the possible-appearance-of-Demon-Lord before her.

Shion shrugged, "Do you want us to be?"

Her golden eyes sparkled once again, nodding vigorously. She was going to make a new friend!

Ren was not going to tolerate any more men in his lady love's life, not at least when she already has some troublesome ones, whose names should never be mentioned. To say that he was angry was a great understatement, for he was practically shining with his ultra-fake smile.

"Mogami-san?"

Kyoko froze again, looking at her senpai as if he was a ghost, "U-Uh…"

"Hey, stop bullying little Red, would you?" Shion crossed his arms as he glared defiantly up at the giant.

Ren was surprised. Even Fuwa would've at least cringed a little at him, but this young boy… he didn't even bat an eye (he did turn away though). Plus, that appearance… those eyes…

"You are—"

"SHION!" Lory's voice boomed and echoed against the walls of the fortunately empty corridor. Everyone but the wolf boy was startled by the evident anger in the usually nonchalant and flamboyant president's voice.

"Oh, Lory-sama, you're so slow."

_Why the prefix?!_ All eyes were on the boy, who was fiddling with a lock of his ochre hair while smiling at the oldest gentleman.

Lory wanted to argue back, but with the amount of questioning eyes on them, he sighed with a palm rubbing his face instead, "What are you doing here?"

"You wanted me here, no? You said you were going to introduce me to the 'LoveMe' girls." Shion tilts his head to a side, "Am I wrong?"

"You're not wrong but… I wanted to properly introduce you to them." Lory then faced the younger audiences, and did his happy-dramatic pose, "Good morning my children!"

The only responses he got were a polite and friendly, smiling Ren and a frantic waist-deep bow from Kyoko. The rest were shell-shocked, possibly from the troublemaker, Shion, or from his attire this time.

He was dressed in a creamy white toga held with a golden badge, a bronze laurel crown wrapping around his forehead, and a pair of straw sandals. Sebastian was behind him, wearing the same thing, only that he has a matching white scarf covering his lower face.

"Erm, President, exactly who is Shion-kun?" Kyoko asked timidly, breaking the awkward silence hanging above their heads.

"Oh, that's right." Lory pushed Ren and Yashiro into the room and followed in with Sebastian closing the door behind him.

The black haired man patted on the kid's head, "He is a Servant Beast."

With all the blank yet clueless faces, Shion wanted to laugh out loud.

"It's not surprising that you do not know about them. Servant Beasts, Serbeasts for short, were androids with actual animalistic qualities created in secret by Professor Hinamori Azuma approximately 20 years ago to be companions to humans." Seeing the wolf boy frown sadly, Lory felt bad for he would be digging up some bad memories, but he needed to explain the situation.

"Unfortunately, they were banned 5 years into making and destroyed by some bigger countries for Serbeasts were used to… satisfy sexual desires and be scapegoats for crimes humans are responsible for. Professor Hinamori disappeared shortly after that, taking only the handful of the remaining Serbeasts he had saved."

The room was silent with mainly shock and sympathy for the Serbeast standing before them.

"Azuma… he disappeared before us as well." Shion took it from there, brushing off the assuring and warm hand resting on his head.

"We are androids with human's feelings and we have the animal qualities we are modeled after. Lory-sama had kindly informed me about the destruction of the other Serbeasts, and that I am the only one left in this world."

Kyoko was practically crying a river by now. Moving forward, she grasped his hand and sobbed, "You must be so lonely and sad!" She knew the pain of being abandoned, after all, with her mother and that cockroach.

Smiling bitterly, Shion squeezed her warm hand, "That's why I need to find Azuma."

"Why?" Ren asked. He has a very bad feeling about the answer.

Blue topaz eyes steeled with determination met with shimmering brown ones.

"I want him to end my life with his own hands."

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**How was it? Sho and Reino wouldn't come out for the first few chapters (I'm so sorry about that).**

**Please R&R! :D****  
**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N:** Fourth chapter is here! I think this is where the ball starts rolling. I don't know what will happen in the chapter either ;P

**Disclaimers:** **I don't own any characters from Skip Beat! But I do own my characters.**

Please enjoy the fourth chapter!

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**Chapter 4: The favor**

"_I want him to end my life with his hands."_

Those words echoed in his mind. Ren couldn't help but see a shadow of himself in the boy.

Why couldn't he just live on? Once, he had thought of dying too. Rick's death was just too much for him.

"_You murderer!"_

Tina's scream still plagued his dreams at times. He thought of the 'if only' when that happens.

If only he didn't pick up the fight, if only he had ran away that day, if only he had not chased after that bastard after beating the crap out of the hooligans. If only he had listened to Rick.

If only he had died instead.

But Kyoko came into his life again. She was the reason why he could feel like living once more, secretly hoping to be forgiven even if he knew he shouldn't be.

He hadn't told her the truth: his past, his real identity.

He was afraid that she would run away from him, from his life. He knew that he would never be able to get up again if that happens, that's why he's going as slow as possible.

But this supposedly android before him was just so similar to Kuon, to him. He even fleetingly wondered if Kyoko could change Shion like how she changed him, even if she didn't know about it.

"And so!" Lory suddenly exclaimed, startling all the young occupants in the room once again, "I would like the LoveMe department to babysit this young little thing here until I say otherwise!"

"What?!" All three girls yelled in disbelief.

"I'm fine, Lory-sama. Just get me a room and I can get by just fine." Shion argued, swatting the hand scratching the back of his ear.

Lory shot him the most distrusting glare, "No way. You said that last time, and what happened? Kuu had to call me 3am in the morning just to whine about his missing food!"

Ren stiffened at the name. _That boy was with father?_

"EH?! Shion-kun, you were living with Fa—Kuu-sensei?!" Kyoko exclaimed with glittering eyes as she grasped his hands once more.

Shion looked amused, "You're that black hole's student? That's surprising. I didn't know he took in disciples."

Inwardly, she was glad that he didn't catch the mistake she almost made.

"Well… it's a long story." Kyoko admitted sheepishly, a bright blush creeping up her cheeks.

Smirking, Lory rests each of his palms on their shoulders, "Well, since you have so much to talk to Shion about Kuu, how about he live with you?"

Ren shot a glare while Yashiro gave a look close to a knowing grin to the smiling man. _He is scheming something!_

"President, I think it's best if Shion-kun lives with me…" Ren trailed off with wide eyes when he saw the pleading puppy face Kyoko gave him.

_Since when did she learn to show __**that**__ face?_

Kyoko hoped that it would work on Ren. Why, she picked this up from him after all! The 'you-can't-resist-me' puppy look!

Desperate not to lose the last thin string of control and embrace (and kiss) her before all the audiences, Ren caved in by folding his arms and donned on his 'admirable-senpai' persona, "Just don't cause any troubles for the couple living with you…"

And then she smiled that cutie-honey smile, crumbling his perfect persona, "Please don't worry, Tsuruga-san! I wouldn't do anything do trouble them!"

Shion have to take his hat off for the pitiful man. Just one look and he knew the targets Lory had never mentioned.

_So, the cupid plan is for Tsuruga Ren and Mogami Kyoko?_

"Shion-kun, can you wait for me until I come back? I have to shoot Box-R from 1pm to 8pm…" Kyoko paused when she realized that would be hell lots of time for him to wait, "Um…"

Shion smiled a genuine smile surprising everyone in the room, including Lory (but except Sebastian of course, the always expressionless person), "I'm okay with that, Kyoko-chan."

Ren felt a nerve twitch against his throat. Why are they already on first name basis when they only met a few minutes ago?

Kyoko smiled back. Hearing him say 'Kyoko-chan' reminds her of her fairy prince. Their eyes look alike as well! Maybe they are brothers? _But Corn didn't have those soft-looking ears and tail…_

"Well then, I think you should go get some breakfast before the filming starts, Kyoko-chan." Shion suggested before turning around to face Lory and Sebastian, "I'm going to get some disguise tools."

Nodding in agreement, Kyoko turned around to face their oddly-silent LoveMe comrades, "Do you want to—"

"Mogami-san, shall we go get breakfast together then?" Ren interrupted with his warm smile.

Kanae and Chiori exchanged knowing looks before nodding to Kyoko, "Get going, Kyoko. Mo! Don't give me that face! We're hanging out tonight, right?"

Glitters exploded from Kyoko as she gave both the girls bone crushing hugs, "I love you sooo much, Moko-san!"

And after that she was gone with a smiling Tsuruga Ren and a rather perplexed Yashiro Yukihito, all while Kyoko was lecturing the smiling actor about taking proper nutrition.

Kanae and Chiori saw the two older gentlemen who were still in the room, patting on the boy's back and shoulder as if to assure or comfort him.

That was when they realized that his ears were flattened, and his tail curled between his legs. Was he afraid?

Lory looks back at them as Sebastian led the boy out of the room. The look on his face made them swallow in fear. His dark eyes were practically _ordering_ them to keep silent of whatever they saw just seconds ago.

Takarada Lory was always the extravagant man who never ceases to make them wonder what he would cosplay as and annoy them with the 'spread of love'. But now, he's actually acting like a proper powerful president, which frightened them instead.

"Kotonami-kun, Amamiya-kun, even though Shion would be living with Mogami-kun, I would still want the both of you to take care of that boy. You heard him earlier, and I want to thwart his plans." The man said, "He is as good as my grandson, so this will not be a LoveMe job, I want you to do this on your own will."

"This is my favor to you. Please." Lory bowed his head.

That was like a thunder strike to their close-to-zero respect towards this man as a president. When **the** Takarada Lory said 'favor', they knew something was wrong, adding in 'please', they were rather horrified, and to finish with a _bow of his head_, they knew shit is going to happen.

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**I felt like Ren, Kyoko and the last few paragraphs are a little OOC, but I guess it works out fine. Serious!Lory is also fun to write.**

**Please R&R! :D **


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N:**Here you go, the fifth chapter! The next few chapters may contain negative thoughts from Shion's part. Oh, and, I will try putting in Ren x Kyoko moments where appropriate. But I guess, there might not be much scenes about them, _yet_.  


**Disclaimers:****I do not own any of the Skip Beat! characters, but I do own my own characters. Contains OOC elements.**

Please enjoy!

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**Chapter 5: Predator and Prey**

During breakfast, Kyoko rarely spoke at all. Her mind was reeling with Shion. The feeling of seeing his loved one leave is something she can relate to very much.

But what was the reason? Why did Professor Hinamori leave Shion? Didn't he know that by doing that, it was practically throwing them to the world of cruelty? Did he not know that his children (the androids) had all long disappeared, leaving Shion all by himself?

A sigh escaped her lips as she placed the utensils back onto the half-finished plate. All of a sudden she lost her appetite.

Ren didn't know what was going through her head. Just a few minutes ago she was lecturing to him about proper nutrition taking, but now she was the one straying from her three-meals-a-day ideology.

"Kyoko-chan? What's wrong?" Yashiro asked worriedly. Kyoko is actually leaving half a plate full! And it was her favorite hamburger steak with fried egg!

"Eh? Oh, it's nothing, nothing at all!" Kyoko flashed an assuring smile. _What am I doing? Making Yashiro-san worried like that! _

"Really? You look so deep in thought." Ren pressed, maybe she would tell him?

Truthfully, she wanted to pour her thoughts out, but it's just too personal. She wouldn't burden her senpai with her own worries! She shouldn't keep relying on him, after all!

"It's nothing, really. I was just thinking about my role." She lied smoothly; well, as smoothly as she can go.

"Role… you mean Natsu?" Ren knew she was lying, but he wouldn't pry deeper. She would just desperately refuse to tell him, which will turn out worse.

"Eh? Ah, yes." _Did I fool him?_ "Erm, but it's fine now. I figured it all out!"

Ren sighed.

She blanched and froze. _That was the NG sigh! Oh god, he figured it out?!_

And then all of a sudden he flashed his gentle smile, "I see. It's good to be so focused on your roles, but you need to eat properly."

He momentarily blinded her. All her grudges were dying of dehydration, screaming something about 'argh, the holy light!' and she willed herself not to look away.

Kyoko then saw the emptied plate of her senpai, remembering about all the nutrition lectures she gave him.

_How can I pick on his eating habits when I'm doing the same thing?! I'm the worst kohai ever! I'm so sorry, Tsuruga-san!_

In midst of beating herself up, she didn't notice Yashiro sparing timid and panicking glances towards Ren, who wasn't smiling; not his eyes, not his lips.

Ren had a hunch why the girl was affected so much. After all, he too, was affected quite as much. The boy who's just so similar to Kuon, the boy whose parent left him without any explanation.

Shion is just like a living ghost of their horrible pasts.

* * *

That afternoon, the ochre haired boy had mentioned that he wanted to venture outside.

"Shion, are you sure about this?" Lory looked more than uncertain as he saw the wolf boy twirling on the spot in front of the full-length mirror.

"You wouldn't want me to be locked up here until Kyoko-chan is back." Shion smiled cheerily as he stopped spinning, facing the man sitting on the couch in the middle of the large office.

The long sleeves of the grey V-neck knit shirt failed to hide his well-toned arms, with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows and the dark denim skinny jeans he's wearing latched onto his legs like another layer of skin, . The V-cut ended half way down his chest, outlining his collar bones and revealing a little of his firm, fair chest.

_Now that he's dressed this way, I can actually relate him to a 16 year-old Kuon, what with his height._ The older gentleman mused. _Though, he looks more like the younger version of Kuu... but why is Shion so similar to the Hizuri men? Could it be..._

Shion walked back into the wardrobe and pulled out a brown casket hat, flattening his ears beneath. _Sometimes I wish I was a human._

"Just don't cause any troubles, Shion." Lory warned lightly watching the boy wave a dismissal hand as he walked out of the office.

He spent the day exploring, from shopping malls to neighborhood areas with rows of houses, until it was late evening, close to 7pm, when he finally felt satisfied with the day.

Having Sebastian drive him around wasn't that bad. "Hey, Sebastian?"

The tanned man, now dressed in proper butler clothes, looks at him through the rearview mirror in the black Lincoln sedan.

"Where is Kyoko-chan filming Box-R?"

Sebastian merely continued staring.

As if understanding the reason for his silent treatment, Shion smiled innocently, "I'm just going there to surprise her."

"She's an up-and-coming actress, is it wise for you to barge into the set without her consent?" Sebastian questioned expressionlessly.

Shion looks out of the window with a huff, "Then get me anywhere else. I don't know where to go anyway."

"How about TBM?" The butler suggested.

"I heard about it before, but why there?"

"Our Bridge Rock hosts a talk show called Kimagure Rock there. Mogami-sama is the mascot."

"Kyoko-chan is the mascot?"

"Yes. However, Kotonami-sama will be substituting her for today."

Shion hummed in amusement. If he's going to carry out the Cupid plan for Lory, he would have to first gather some information from the people around the couple-to-be.

Kanae is the best friend of Kyoko; surely she would tell him a little bit about her oddball friend.

His lips pulled back in a toothy grin, "Take me there, Sebastian."

* * *

Fuwa Sho was never fond of the Bridge Rock, especially the leader—what was his name—since he had heard rumors of him asking _his_ Kyoko out.

An arrogant smirk pulled at the ends of his lips as he flicked his dirty blond bangs with the back of his hands, triggering a chain of high pitched squeals from the audiences.

Once again, he was back to guest another session of Kimagure Rock. Shoko had been pestering him to make time for this session for a while now, after that Karuizawa incident with the Beagle.

Well, personally, he wouldn't have minded so much if it was to just attend this talk show, but…

His fingers itched to give another punch to the cool and collected silver haired dog merely two seats away from him. The damned beagle! Why must he be here too?!

"It's for your own good, Sho. If the media finds out that you and the Vie Ghoul's vocalist had a scuffle because of Kyoko-chan, those reporters would never let this piece of scandal go." Shoko had said.

It would have been better if she just said professionalism. Who would ever want to get into a fight just because of that plain and boring woman? He just did that to put that beagle back to his place.

And his pride and ego would never let him know that his thoughts and his actions were plain contradictive.

Sensing the tension between the two singers, Hikaru glanced at his brothers, specifically at Yuusei, who smiled brightly at the audience, "Now, Bo will be bringing out the eggs!"

Bo waddled in with the small basket of eggs for the questions. Inside the suffocating costume, Kanae didn't try to hide the scorn, anger and hatred she held for Sho, placing the basket on the coffee table before the Ishibashi brothers.

Nobody messes with her best friend.

Sho could feel the piercing glare from the mascot, and he wondered if it was Kyoko in there after all. Reino seemed to be enjoying the anger emitting from the chicken.

He knew it wasn't Kyoko, but still, a woman barely on par with the actress is very rare. The slightest smirk pulled one end of his lips. He's so going to find out who is behind that chicken costume.

Meanwhile, Shion was smiling from the backstage. He didn't know Kanae is the type to do such a job, even if it'll be for Kyoko. However, he was more concerned about the platinum haired man on stage.

He smells like danger itself. Not to mention the target of his smirk is Kanae.

Blue topaz eyes narrowed, he would need to do something about that man.

* * *

**There! A snippet of Sho and Reino appearing! So, the question remains unanswered. "Why does Shion resemble the Hizuri men?" It's a rhetorical question, but you're welcome to make guesses. **

**Please R&R! :D**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N:**Erm, so, this chapter is actually Reino-centric, so... *breathes in* I'M SO SORRY FOR THOSE WHO WANTED TO SEE SHO INSTEAD! *prostrates* I'm _really_ sorry! I promise I'll get Sho some time in the future chapters! Please forgive me!

**Disclaimers:**** I do not own any of the Skip Beat! characters, but I do own my characters. Contain OOC elements!**

Please enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter 6: Dirtied past**

Kanae waddled into the backstage, grumbling about pests and whatnot.

"Otsukaresama, Kanae-chan." Kanae did a double take when she heard Shion's voice. And then she realized he just called her by her first name, and so familiarly!

"Why are you here?" Kanae asked incredulously, also partly irked.

"You don't expect me to stay in that LME building for hours straight do you?" Shion approached her and smiled, "I just took a look around the town, hoping to find something entertaining, and then Sebastian suggested this place."

_That butler did? _The black haired beauty eyed the smiling boy skeptically, noticing how his tail is gone and the remnants of his flattened ears poking out from the casket hat he's wearing.

"Don't you need to get changed?" Shion asked to get rid of the awkward silence.

All Kanae did was huffed out a 'Mo!' and stomped towards the dressing room.

Shion chuckled again and followed her. If that silver haired man plans to get her, then he would do it when she's alone. But he would never guess that she has a companion.

And just as the wolf boy predicted, Reino strolled into the corridor where Bo's dressing room is, and stopped short at the sight of a boy not shorter than him, leaning against the wall beside the said room.

Shion glanced at him, "Do you need anything?"

"I just wanted to see who's inside that costume. She has some fine negative feelings that can be on par with the actress who did Mio." Reino said merely, a light smirk pulling at his lips.

Shion knew that Kyoko was Mio, since that idiot-parent had made him watch that show—Dark Moon—several times, all while boasting about how the actress acting out Mio is his 'other Kuon'.

The boy wondered how on earth the man never ceased to run out of vocabulary to use when it comes to praising his 'sons'. During the

"Well, too bad for you, but Bo isn't seeing any guests." Shion didn't think he would retreat that easily, but it's never a bad thing to try using words to drive him away.

"I don't need any permission to see somebody." Reino stated plainly as he approached the door, reaching out a hand to turn the doorknob when Shion grabbed his wrist.

"Stop." The boy squeezed the wrist.

Reino jolted when the memories flooded into his system. He had once thought that Tsuruga Ren was scary, but he had never thought there would be someone who would be scarier than that pacifist lion.

The singer retrieved his wrist as if burnt; taking immediate steps back as he panted, his violet eyes widened in fear.

"You—who are you?" Reino had to force himself not to shudder at the lingering negativity haunting his mind.

Shion blinked, obviously confused by the sudden change of his attitude.

"How many… just how many lives have you taken so far?"

Even when the question came out barely as an inaudible whisper, Shion heard it perfectly clear, for his eyes widened in disbelief.

"How did you—"

"Get away from Kyoko. You're too dangerous." Reino warned unconvincingly. He was trembling lightly.

This boy is a literal living weapon, and he knows Kyoko. Knowing that woman, she wouldn't even suspect him, since she didn't even listen to his advice and avoid Tsuruga Ren.

Shion approached the man, his eyes cold and passive, "Don't you ever tell anybody whatever you know, or else…" He didn't need to give a proper threat, "You know what will happen if you do so, right?"

Reino swallowed dryly, and nodded mutely. He wouldn't dare to pick a fight with someone, no, _something_, that can chew his bones out without hesitation.

"Then all's well. Get lost." The boy smiled sweetly.

* * *

When Kanae opened the door a few minutes later, she saw Shion standing in the middle of the corridor, staring at the wall opposite of the room with an indecipherable look.

The conversation was actually loud and clear for her (they were talking just outside, for god's sake!), so she heard fairly everything, except before Shion had threatened the singer.

Kanae became alert. A particular sentence was stuck in her head as if with a superglue.

"_Get away from Kyoko. You're too dangerous."_

What did he mean by that? Why is it Kyoko?

"Kanae-chan?"

The dark haired woman snapped out of her reverie and took a step back when she saw the boy's innocent face merely inches from hers. She suppressed a blush from creeping up her face.

"Mo! It's nothing!"

Shion blinked. _Why is she so flustered?_

Sebastian came back to pick them up only half an hour later. The ride was oddly silent, even for Shion, the butler noted. Maybe something happened in TBM? He would need to discuss this with the President.

Shion was affected by that blasted singer's words. He would need to ask somebody about his name some time. He saw. But how much did he see?

There were blanks in his memories. But he always failed to forget about what exactly caused the destruction of Servant beasts in the first place.

His hands are forever stained with blood, his comrades' blood.

He would never want to let anyone know about his dirtied past.

Especially Kyoko; she is so innocent, so pure. If she was to be stained by someone like him, then he would rather stay away from her, like that man had warned.

Unknowingly, his eyes narrowed sadly. _What should I do now?_

* * *

**How was it? I think Shion is having some personality dispute :/ But whatever! It's fun to write him like that!**

**Please R&R!**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N:**Okay, so, this chapter is actually together with Chapter 6, but I cut them into two because it would've been too long for my own comfort. So, there you go, the seventh chapter!

**Disclaimers:** **I do not own any characters from Skip Beat! I do own my characters though. Contains OOC elements!**

**Special thanks to following people for following:**

**-**_ kitkatketi_

**-**l_ollypopsareevil_

**-**_ moon3_

**-**_ xxDCxx_

_And all of the readers! _

Please enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter 7: Confrontation**

Kanae didn't know why, but the face reflected on the window was unnerving. She had been wary about the boy after she overheard (unintentionally) the conversation, but why would a dangerous person show such a sad face?

Shion waited outside the LoveMe department as Kanae changed into her casual clothes. At 8 on the dot, Kyoko returned to LME with Ren and Yashiro walking beside her (Ren had offered her a ride since he was going back to LME too).

At the sight of the orange haired girl, Shion can't help but look away. He couldn't look at her the way he did that morning. He still greeted her like earlier, but he couldn't look into her molten gold eyes.

His odd actions didn't escape Ren's eyes. Why is he looking away from Kyoko, and with a guilt-imprinted expression? He realized that he looked exactly like the teenage years of himself. That was the face he made when he admitted to Rick about the fights he'd been in.

But why is Shion showing that?

On the other hand, Kyoko was perplexed. Did she do something wrong? Why isn't Shion looking at her? She panicked inwardly and desperately tried to think of any reasons, and then it hit her like a meteorite.

_Could it be that he __**is**__ angry about having to wait for me for so long?! Stupid Kyoko! Of course he is! He waited for __**7 hours**__! I have to apologize!_

And so she did.

As soon as she walked out of the room after changing, she prostrated herself at his feet and started babbling her apologies so hastily that Shion only registered bits and pieces of the words she said.

"Kyoko-chan!" Shion reached out to grab her shoulders, but stopped short when he saw his hands bloodied for a split second.

Clenching his hands, he knelt down in front of her and smiled, "Why are you apologizing?"

Kyoko looks up at him with teary eyes, "I made you wait for so long! I mean, 7 hours! It's a no wonder you would be angry!"

Shion blinked, baffled, "I'm angry?"

"Eh? You weren't? But you were avoiding looking at me…" She whispered the last part, looking down at the ground.

Shion jostled slightly at the statement. Was he so obvious? "I'm not angry, Kyoko-chan."

Since her fantasy antennae didn't pop out like that morning, it must be the truth.

Heaving a sigh of relief, she smiled cutely and nodded enthusiastically, "Please come along with us! I mean, I wouldn't want you to wait for me any longer than you did."

"Mogami-san, is it alright with you if I will accompany Shion-kun until you return?" Ren asked with a smile.

Kyoko looked at him, confused.

"It's a girl's night out, isn't it?" Ren looks at Kanae, who somehow understood his intentions and nodded.

"Mo! You're going to invite a _boy_ to join us for _shopping_?"

Kyoko became flustered and started apologizing to the boy once again, this time for not being thoughtful enough.

"It's fine, Kyoko-chan." Shion assured with a smile, "Just enjoy your night, okay?"

Nodding excitedly, Kyoko hooked her arm with Kanae's and literally skipped towards the lift with Kanae bobbing up and down awkwardly while complaining.

After the girls left, Ren dropped all the façade he'd been keeping for Kyoko's sake.

"What are you planning?" The actor demanded.

Yashiro wanted to shriek at Ren for being so impolite, but he didn't dare to. The Demon Lord's on the stage and he was only glad for not being the direct target for him. Looking blue, the manager glances at the boy, who was staring expressionlessly at Ren, which surprised the eldest man of the trio.

_Wow, he's not even buckling under Demon Lord's glare! _

"What do you mean? I'm not planning anything." Shion answered.

"It's not pure coincidence that you're here and President asking the LoveMe girls to babysit you." The actor pressed mercilessly, "Plus, you mentioned this morning that the President wanted to introduce you to them, I doubt that he isn't planning anything."

Shion sighed. He isn't in any mood to beat around the bush.

"So what if _we're_ planning something? I doubt it has anything to do with you." He retorted sharply, removing the hat from his head to reveal his wolf ears.

Yashiro wanted to mediate them, but the stifling atmosphere was just too heavy for him to even open his mouth to speak.

Ren was surprised. It has nothing to do with him?

"On second thought, yeah, one of my plans _has_ something to do with you, but it's mainly because of your cowardice." Shion crossed his arms with a huff.

The tall man stiffened, "What do you—"

"If you don't want that 'messenger of love' to interfere with your love life, just confess to Kyoko-chan." Shion interrupted, causing the actor to blush a little, "Or is it something else that's stopping you?"

"What?"

Yashiro lifted an eyebrow at Ren's reaction. Sure, he knew that Ren is an idiot when it comes to love, and that his reason for not confessing to Kyoko is because of their age differences, but this reaction was different. It was more tensed, more… alert.

"Honestly, I think a four-year difference isn't that big, you know?" Shion stalked towards the man and shoved his chest, "If you don't man up, then Kyoko-chan will be taken by someone else."

Ren took a step back at the shove, but his response was something Yashiro anticipated, "She is the founding member of the LoveMe department."

Shion gave him a look that crossed incredulity and pity, "I wouldn't rely on that, you know? You would never know who would come around and sweep her off her feet."

The actor froze, and remembered Kyoko's behavior during breakfast. She was most probably thinking about this boy.

Subconsciously, he shot a glare at the youngest boy, who merely patted him on the forearm, "Just get together with her as soon as possible… if not, I cannot disappear…"

The two men were puzzled by his statement.

"Why… do you want to disappear?" Ren questioned, all the negativity dissipating in that instant.

Looking at his open palm, Shion looked distressed.

_Nobody could forgive someone like me, whose hands took away countless lives and tainted with blood. What's the use of living now that I've been left nothing but an inerasable sin?_

"You will never understand." The boy answered before walking away, leaving confusion and curiosity in his wake.

* * *

**Sorry for the mild suicidal elements in here! I hope Ren wasn't too OOC. _**

**Please R&R!**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N:** I'm most probably going to be posting the next few chapters actively until my Graduation Day, which is like, 4 Oct, when I'll only post when I have the time. But anyway, here you go, the eighth chapter! This chapter is mainly about Kyoko and Shion, but I promise there'll be a Ren x Kyoko scene very soon!

** Lineve - I don't understand Spanish, I'm so sorry. But I got a hunch what you're trying to say. Eh, first, thank you for trying out in the guess, but unfortunately the answer is wrong. :) You'll know about the reason soon enough!**

** kitkatketi - I addressed to you privately, but I thought I should readdress in public too! So, yes, it's basically that. Though Shion is slightly different from Kuon, but he _is _wilder. Thank you for your compliment!**

Thank you very much for the follows, favorite, and most of all: Thank you very much for even trying out this fanfic! I'm extremely touched that I actually got over 1000 views in just 3 days! You readers made my day, and for that, thank you!

**Disclaimers:** **I do not own any of the Skip Beat! characters, but I do own my characters! Contains OOC elements!**

Please enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter 8: Silence**

Lory stared at the vibrating device on his coffee table as if it was a puzzle.

Why is there a cellphone in his living room?

And he thought back to the early morning that day. He remembered he had snatched away Shion's phone when he did that web searching thing for the word 'playing cupid'.

But who could be calling the boy? For all he knew, the wolf boy only have Kuu, Julie and his numbers on the contact list.

He reached out to the white device and flipped it open, only to look even more confused by the caller id.

**Ikumi Yoshiko**

"What you're doing right now is part of privacy invasion you know, Lory-sama?" The older gentleman jumped at the sudden appearance of the boy, who pulled the device from his grip and pressed the red button.

"Oh, and I accidentally revealed our Cupid plan to Tsuruga-san just now, so he might march into your office in near future." Shion continued nonchalantly, sitting beside Lory.

The dark haired man stared at him as if he'd grown two heads, "Why did you do that? I told you he's very particular about my lovely schemes."

"It was an accident, I said." The boy leaned his head against the headrest.

After a long silence, the boy sighed, "Lory-sama, why did you decide to take me in?"

Lory looks at him, surprise evident on his face.

"I was just fulfilling an old friend's wish." Lory closed his eyes and took out a cigar to light, "I only managed to find out his whereabouts a few months after leaving you to live with Kuu."

"I know of a young man who is like you, carrying all the non-existent blame and suffering alone, gradually sinking into deeper darkness." Lory continued, taking a puff.

"Hizuri Kuon, is it?" Shion smiled sadly when he saw the man choke, "There were times when Julie-san mistook me for him, you see?"

"Did she tell you?" Lory hoped not.

"Actually, Kuu-san did. He told me about everything, after wasting around ten minutes boasting, when I asked him who the boy in one of the pictures I saw was."

The dark haired man mentally bashed Kuu up. _That stupid idiot-parent!_

"I will finish the task on hand first." Shion suddenly said, clenching his fist, "And then I'll go to Azuma."

"…Is there no other ways?" Lory doesn't want Shion to die; he had come to see the boy as a second godson after Ren.

"Nobody would want to have anything to do with a murderer like me." Shion answered merely.

Heavy silence settled in, and Lory was about to deny when Sebastian appeared out of nowhere, informing them about Kyoko's return.

"Oh, that was fast." Shion stood up from the couch, "What time is it?"

"It's 10pm." Sebastian answered with a bow.

Lory sighed, "Shion, listen to me."

The boy stopped walking towards the door and looked back at the gentleman, who looked desperate, "Everything's in the past, I really hope you can stop blaming yourself."

Shion smiled, "I'll think about it."

* * *

Mogami Kyoko had always been the one riding her beloved partner, aka the bicycle she owned. When she returned to LME with shopping bags occupying her arms, Shion had kindly offered to give her a lift home instead.

And so, Kyoko ended up sitting behind the wolf boy, admiring his soft, silky and fluffy tail, which was resting on her lap the whole time. When she ran her fingers along the irresistible thing, Shion nearly rammed them into a lamppost.

He had firmly instructed for her arms to be kept to herself, for his tail is the most sensitive part of his body. She had flushed red and apologized profusely, trying to bow her head at least, but bumped her forehead against his back.

Shion stopped the bicycle and guided her arms to wrap around his abdomen, "It's so that you won't fall off the bicycle." He said.

"Uhm, Shion-kun, it's really fine if I hold onto the bags…" Kyoko actually marveled at how he could balance all the bags hanging from his arms while he steered the bicycle.

_As expected from a fairy!_

"No, I couldn't let a girl hold the stuff. I'm a guy after all." Shion insisted as he stopped the bicycle in front of Darumaya, "This is where you live?"

"Yes! It's a very comfortable place, and the couple I'm living with are kind people!" Kyoko nodded proudly and huffed cutely as she slipped off the bicycle rear rack, patting her chest.

Shion smiled at her, "Looks like a wonderful place."

Locking the bike to the single bicycle rack at back of the restaurant, Kyoko pushed open the door and announced her return.

"Okaerinasai, Kyoko-chan." Okami walked out of the kitchen with a smile, "Oh, you brought back a guest?"

"Yes! I was wondering if we could put him up until further notice..." Kyoko trailed off when she saw Taisho staring at the boy with his piercing glare, slamming the chopper in his hand into the beef on the chopping board a tad bit too forcefully.

"It's a LoveMe job!" She added hastily.

But Shion didn't budge. He merely smiled boyishly at them and bowed respectfully while making sure his hat doesn't fall off, "It's a pleasure to meet you, Taisho-san, Okami-san. My name is Shion."

"Why are you wearing a hat at night?" Okami asked curiously.

Kyoko stiffened at the question. _Oh no! How should we answer her? I don't mean to lie to such wonderful people, but Shion-kun's real identity cannot be known to public!_

"Ah…" Shion reached a hand to his hat, "Please do not be too surprised. I'm in this condition, you see." He took it off, and his ears bounced up.

The two older people stared at him with surprise and incredulity.

"Are those real?" Okami asked, feeling a cross of awe and confusion.

"Yes."

Kyoko stares at her new friend with a new level of respect. Why did he do that? What if the couple rejects his presence in the house? She knew rejection very well, and that it will never be friendly.

"Second floor, the last room to the right." Taisho said in his usually unfriendly tone. Okami looks at her husband with surprise.

Blue topaz eyes widened before the boy smiled gratefully and bowed again, "Thank you very much!"

Kyoko led Shion up to his room, which was just beside hers. Sliding the door open, she smiled as she watched a gentle smile lit up his face.

Shion padded to the glass window and pulls open the curtains, letting the moonlight shine a part of the room, illuminating his features.

Kyoko felt as if she just took a sneak peek into the fairy kingdom she longed to visit.

Her Corn had been beautiful under the sun; his hair would shine as if a halo above his head, and his bright, blue eyes would captivate her. He was the Fairy Prince.

Likewise, under the moonlight, Shion's hair shimmers with a layer of white light, and his blue topaz eyes reflects the image of the silver moon. His serene smile makes her wonder if he was also a Fairy Prince from another kingdom.

The ethereally beautiful boy turns back with an angle that reminded her of Ren, when they were in the clearing of the forest back in Karuizawa, when she mistook her senpai for Corn.

When Ren and Shion entered the same train of thought, she remembered about the conversation that morning.

"_I want him to end my life with his own hands."_

"Kyoko-chan?"

Unknowingly, tears flowed down from her wide golden eyes to her cheeks. "Why…" She breathed, "Why did you think of dying, Shion-kun?"

Shion watched as hot, pearly tears dripped from her chin.

A brand new feeling evoked him—was it guilt for making her cry? Or maybe it was happiness because she was worried about him?

He walked towards her, standing merely a foot away but never touching her, "Why do you want to know?"

Kyoko couldn't stop the sob emerging from her throat, "I just want to know."

The silence she got pained her heart. Maybe it's because she was reminded of the time when Corn went back to his Fairy Kingdom. She didn't want to see her new friend leave like how her prince did.

He took a step back and turned away, "It's late. You should go to sleep."

Without another word, she turned on her heels and fled back to her room, not once turning back. If she did, she would see the guilt and pain etched on the boy's face.

* * *

**I hope Kyoko wasn't too OOC. I think my chapters are so melancholic because of the instrumental music I was listening to when I wrote them. TT^TT I'm so sorry if it's too depressing! **

**Please R&R!**


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N:** I just thought of a wicked idea in regards to Sho. It would help me a lot if you readers would choose one of the following options I thought up of.

1) Ren and Shion against Sho

2) Kyoko and Shion against Sho

3) Ren and Kyoko against Sho

4) Shion only against Sho

5) Ren only against Sho

6) All three against Sho

You can choose more than one.

**Disclaimers:****I do not own any of the Skip Beat! characters, but I do own my characters. Contains OOC elements!**

Please enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter 9: Plan A**

The next morning was awkward for the girl. Kyoko knew she was in a horrible state, because she cried the night before. It was the second time she had cried for somebody, she thought she wouldn't do that after Shotaro had used and thrown her away like tissue paper.

Shaking her head, Kyoko slapped her cheeks twice to sober up. She's going to apologize to Shion, knowing that she had asked a rather private question, even if she was caught up in the moment.

Dressed up in her school uniform, she stepped out of her room and looked towards the closed door of her neighbor. _Is he still asleep?_

She wondered if she should go and wake him up. _No, no! I can't disturb his precious sleep! I should be more careful with what I say! Hm… but, what if he had something on today and he oversleep?_

While she was standing outside her room with a curled finger against her chin, she heard groans coming from the boy's room. Curious as she is, Kyoko moved closer to the door.

"Hnngh… You're annoying." She heard Shion grumble after a yawn.

Inside the room, Shion was sitting cross-legged on the futon, scratching his abdomen as he yawned once more.

His tail shifted under the messy cover, "Shut up. I never want to have anything to do with you."

At the snug reply, his lips pulled back into a snarl, "It's not the time yet!"

"Damn, if it's not for Azuma, I wouldn't have gone to find you." Shion stood up and slammed a fist into the wall beside, "I told you before; don't ever show up in front of her! What gives you the right to bitch about what she does now? You've got your money, isn't that enough?!"

Outside the room, Kyoko flinched when she _heard_ the wall give way in the form of a loud crack. The raw fury present in the boy's voice made her shudder.

And then she heard an animalistic growl, followed by "I'll tell her myself, don't come out. Damn it. If you do, I'll kill you."

Kyoko cringed. Whoever is over the phone with Shion must be someone very hard to deal with. Timidly, she slid open the door and saw the boy fuming, his cellphone clutched tightly in his hand.

"S-Shion-kun?"

The boy turned around with wide eyes. Did he wake her up with his raised voice? All of a sudden he felt a wave of guilt and embarrassment wash over him.

"Good morning, Kyoko-chan. Were you eavesdropping?" Shion smiled teasingly.

Shaking her head viciously, Kyoko started babbling her apologies with her perfect dogeza, mentioning something about "I was actually eavesdropping! I'm so sorry!" in midst of her exaggerating actions.

"Kyoko-chan, it's okay now, just stand up." Shion was amused, "I don't mind if it's you."

"B-But I was invading your privacy again!" She argued back.

"Privacy, huh? I don't really mind, since you're just acting out of care and curiosity." Seeing that she was still at his feet, he frowned sadly, "I thought we were friends, Kyoko-chan. Friends don't prostrate before each other, do they? Or am I no longer your friend?"

Shooting up like a projectile, Kyoko shook her head so violently that Shion saw only a blur of orange moving, "That's not true! We _are_ friends, Shion-kun! It's just—" She calmed down a little and prodded her index fingers together with a shy smile, "It's just a habit I picked up since young."

A spark of anger flashed through his eyes and went unnoticed. Such an innocent girl shouldn't go through a hell of rejection. If anything, he will be more than willing to replace her.

"Promise me, Kyoko-chan. Don't ever prostrate in front of anybody close to you. I'm sure they wouldn't like it."

"Huh? Why?" She looked clueless. When she's in the wrong, shouldn't she do that to show sincerity? Does that mean not to apologize even if she's wrong?

"Friends, or family, don't do that. Even if it's a complex, I think it's better if you show some self-respect. It might be true that they wouldn't have mind because they know it is part of your personality, but you're an actress, right? Do you see any actresses apologize the way you do every time?"

_Now that I think of it…_ "No… They don't."

Shion smiled, "Right? So, keep your head high when you think it's the right thing to do. Apologize only when it's necessary. And _never _prostrate. Promise?"

Smiling, Kyoko nodded happily. It feels like having a brother she never had.

"Now then, I think you might want to be more aware of men around you."

"Eh?" It was only when he said that when Kyoko realize the boy was topless, and his black tight-fitting boxers outlined his hip lines, her eyes never went southwards from there.

She would've admired his abdominal muscles if not for the blaring alarm ringing in her mind, screaming for her to look away.

Her face flushed red and was going to scream, but she managed to suppress the incoming horrifying shriek by covering her mouth with her hands. She couldn't disturb the neighbors!

She turned around and fled from the room instead, but not before hearing a teasing chuckle from the room.

* * *

It was mid-afternoon when the CM 'Lasting Shade' was scheduled to be filmed at Fuji TV. Ren glanced at the wall clock for the fourth time in five minutes.

"Kyoko-chan is not here yet." Yashiro informed with his sly smile.

Turning to his manager, the actor flashed his blinding smile, "I don't know what you mean."

Yashiro huffed, placing the bottle of Alps mineral water on the table, "It's pretty obvious that when **the** Tsuruga Ren starts burning holes in the clock, it's always about Mogami Kyoko."

Ren looked neutral, "Really? I didn't know that." Of course he knew! Kyoko would never be late for filming and was always early. There's only fifteen minutes before the scheduled time, but the aforementioned actress still isn't here.

As if on cue, the said actress bursts through the door, panting hard. Ren stood up from the pipe chair he was sitting on and was about to make his way there when he saw a particular ochre haired boy behind Kyoko, smiling gleefully in his black suit.

He saw Kyoko apologizing to the director, but what surprised him was that she _never_ did her usual thing: the dogeza. It seems to surprise director Kurosaki as well since he was stupefied for a few seconds before regaining his composure and assuring the actress.

And he saw Shion patting on the girl's shoulder with a smile that he can only categorize as prideful. The actress smiled back and immediately made her way to her senpai and his manager.

"Good afternoon, Tsuruga-san, Yashiro-san!" Kyoko chirped with her cutie-honey smile.

"Hello, Kyoko-chan." Yashiro waved.

Ren smiled back, "Good afternoon, Mogami-san. Why is Shion-kun with you?"

Shion adjusted his cap, "Well, I'm supposed to be Kyoko-chan's temporary manager." He then smiled, "Good afternoon to you, Tsuruga-san, Yashiro-san."

Yashiro gave a strained smile as he sensed a little electricity between the two, "Good afternoon to you too, Shion-kun."

Ren noticed that Kyoko's eyes are a little red. "Did something happen, Mogami-san?"

Kyoko stiffened at the inevitable question. "Eh?"

"Your eyes are red… did you cry?" The actor felt his blood boil at the thought of somebody making Kyoko cry, and he wasn't there to protect her.

"I—"

"I made her cry." Shion answered smoothly, earning a baffled stare from Kyoko.

Ren's mood just did a 360 degrees turn into the worst. "What?"

"Well, she walked in on me this morning when I just woke up, and it took a whole of a conversation for her to realize that I was like what, half naked? But I guess, I teased her a little too far afterwards."

That earned him a smack to his forearm from the girl, whose face could've made all the tomatoes envious. But she wasn't embarrassed with the event that morning, it was more of incident last night; she's actually relieved that the boy didn't reveal the fact.

Shion chuckled, not at her red face, but at the actor's obvious anger. He could literally see the green eyed monster peering out from his Tsuruga Ren persona.

He had come up with a plan that morning: to make Tsuruga Ren jealous, so that he would realize that _any_ man in Kyoko's life can be a threat.

Ren, who lost his composure, took the bait and flashed his godlike smile, "I didn't know you were _that_ close with Shion-kun, Mogami-san. Isn't that wonderful?"

Kyoko's grudges flew out from her body and latched themselves to the Demon Lord, basking in his obvious anger, while their master froze effectively. _Why?! Why is he angry?! What did I do wrong this time?_

Yashiro cringed at the brilliance that burned his retina, and looked away, only to catch the smug look on Shion's face. He caught on almost instantly as his own little Yasshi snickered evilly.

_So that's the plan?_

"By the way, Kyoko-chan, I've been trying to get Ren to eat properly, but he just wouldn't listen, saying 'Work is more important. I can always eat later'." The manager sighed dramatically as he shook his head with a palm on his forehead, all while imitating Ren's voice and tone.

Ren looked at his manager incredulously. Since when did he say that?

Kyoko, being the worshipper of three-meals-a-day ideology, sprang for the bait and promised to make dinner for her very unreliable-when-it-comes-to-food senpai before proceeding to chide the taller man about his ever-childlike appetite.

Ren didn't fail to see the knowing smiles their managers exchanged, and he cursed himself for not realizing their obvious schemes and eating to their baits.

But… having Kyoko to cook for him isn't that bad of a plan.

* * *

**Please R&R and let me know about the '_ against Sho' thing. **

**Hope you enjoyed the chapter.**


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N:**I wasn't planning to publish this chapter today, but I wanted to present to you some actual Ren x Kyoko scenes. Please forgive me for not adding any Ren x Kyoko scenes in the past few chapters! I really, _really_, hope that you can forgive me! I mean, I really needed to go at a very slow pace so that I won't get to a rushed ending. Uhm, so, please forgive me! (I'm really sounding pathetic TT^TT)

**Disclaimers:****I do not own any of the Skip Beat! characters, but I do own my characters. Contains OOC elements!**

Please enjoy the tenth chapter!

* * *

**Chapter 10: Denser becomes less dense**

It was a nostalgic memory, constantly floating somewhere in his mind. It belongs to the time when Azuma was still with him, laughing, joking, and teaching him about humans.

* * *

**Hinamori Azuma is a tall, dark haired man with chocolate brown eyes filled with kindness and warmth. He was a parent to both the Servant beasts and one particular girl.**

"**Ne, Azuma?" Shion stares down at the two young children chatting by the river stream in the clearing, "Why did you choose that boy to be my model?"**

**Azuma was peering through the binoculars he brought with him, a stupid grin on his face, "He happened to be my first love's son and that woman's the most loving and caring person I've ever met. Coincidentally, my next project is to create a Serbeast to be showered with utmost care and love."**

**The boy looked away. **_Love and care, huh… he's too kind for his own good._

"**By the way, what you're doing now is considered a crime, right?" Shion played with a pebble lying by his side.**

"**Naturally." Azuma answered nonchalantly, being careful not to fall from the short cliff in the forest, "I only created you through the measurements I estimated from what I think will he become when he turns into a teenager."**

"**Humans are hard to understand. If you love that woman so much, why don't you just snatch her away? You're not bad looking, and you have a genius brain. Why did you marry a woman you don't love, even going through the troubles to contribute in giving birth to a child?"**

**By now, Azuma lowers the equipment in his hand and turned to his 'son', "That's where you're wrong, Shion. I still love my wife, even if she was just after my money all along. I love my daughter too. Children are not responsible for a parent's wrongdoings." **

**The ochre haired boy scratched his ear, "Your daughter, huh?"**

**His blue topaz eyes went back to the two laughing children playing in the shallow river. His attention was on the younger child.**

"**It's a shame that she can only hold onto this happiness for such short period of time." He found himself muttering.**

**Azuma looks at the boy, who had remnants of the crushed pebbles embedding in his palm. "Shion, can you promise me just one thing?"**

**The boy glances at his 'father', "What is it?"**

"**If there's a time when I can't be around, please help me protect my daughter from that woman she calls her mother."**

**Shion just stares at the dark haired man, a passive look on his face. His attention went back to the girl giggling at her companion.**

* * *

_It's been a long time since I had that dream…_ Shion opened his eyes and found himself staring into the captivating golden eyes that reminded him of the reason why he's here.

"Shion-kun, are you okay?" Kyoko asked worriedly.

Shion smiled lazily, "Yeah. I just had a nostalgic dream."

He stood up from the couch, stretching his arms above his head, "How long was I out cold?"

"Eh? Uhm, you were probably sleeping throughout the whole filming." Kyoko replied uncertainly.

"I see." Shion was still feeling a little fuzzy, "Kyoko-chan, be careful okay?"

The girl blinked with lifted eyebrows, "Why?"

"You're going to a man's house to eat dinner, right?" Shion yawned.

Kyoko found her eyes fixated on the sharp and long canines on display.

Shion then slung his arms sluggishly over her shoulders and propped his chin on her head, stunning her into a frozen state, "I know I need to protect you, but I don't want to disturb your private time with Tsuruga-san. But in the end, men are beasts, so if anything happens, just give me a call, and I'll be there right away."

Registering the implications, she flushed red and willed her head not to move, but she stammered out, "I-It's not like t-that! I-I mean, Tsuruga-san has his wide variety of women out there, he wouldn't choose someone like me!"

Shion withdrew and looks down at her, puzzled, "Define 'someone like me'?"

"Eh? I mean, I'm plain and boring, and I don't have the curves men desire… why would Tsuruga-san want to even consider me as a love interest?"

He frowned irritably, "If you're going to beat yourself up, then I suggest you to stop. Why in the first place did you think that you're plain and boring anyway?"

Her mood turned foul immediately as a miniature cockroach Shotaro circled around her head with his conceited and smug smirk, taunting her with a song he made up with 'plain and boring woman!'

He then smiled gently, patting on her soft and silky orange hair, "Honestly, I think you're cute and pretty. You're kind, lacking of self-confidence, but you already captured the hearts of several men with your specialness."

Kyoko blinked in bewilderment, looking at the boy as if he'd lost his marbles. "Did you say what I think you said?"

"Why? You don't believe me?" Shion then stroked his chin with a thoughtful stance, and then an idea lit up in his mind like a light bulb.

"Kyoko-chan, how about this…"

* * *

Secretly, Ren was delighted, but he wouldn't show it on his face. He had to remain professional when it comes to Kyoko, since she has this weird sensitivity when it comes to him.

But somehow, he kept having the feeling that the girl was fidgeting more than usual. Had she noticed how hard it is for him to keep watch of his own restraints while she keeps staring at him warily from time to time, with that adorable blush on her porcelain face?

Gripping onto the steering wheel so that he wouldn't start touching her, Ren couldn't stop a sweat from sliding down his forehead. He felt like he had just done an impossible feat, seeing how the air conditioner is still switched on.

He cleared his throat and smiled awkwardly, "Mogami-san, what are we eating?"

Kyoko, who was actually following Shion's advice, blinked in astonishment, "Eh? Oh, um, I'm thinking of making Italian spaghetti."

"Is that so…" Ren felt his stomach churn at the massive amount of plastic bags lying by Kyoko's legs. _How many servings is she planning to make?_

After ten minutes, they were up in his apartment room, with Ren setting the table as always and Kyoko in the kitchen working her magic.

Kyoko was very nervous, and she can only blame Shion for that. The idea he suggested in order for her to be more aware of the men around her made her want to run away.

"_Kyoko-chan, how about this…" Shion smiled merrily, "Tonight, watch how Tsuruga-san looks at you, talks to you, and compare it with the interactions he always have with other actresses."_

"_B-But—"_

_Shion covered her mouth with a palm, "Do as I say, Kyoko-chan, and you'll understand what I mean."_

Ren had been watching his lady love dance around the kitchen mechanically, almost as if it was something of a body reflex to work familiarly. It made his heart soar and he couldn't help but let his genuine smile slip onto his handsome face.

Unknown to the actor, Kyoko was blushing, hard. She was only glad that she has her back facing the personification of holiness. She caught a glimpse of him standing by the kitchen entrance, but chose to ignore his presence.

_T-That's the face Katsuki showed Mizuki… B-But he shows that to me too… bu-but wait a minute… Katsuki loves Mizuki, but it's supposed to be a secret… Eh? D-Does that mean… Nononono! Kyoko! That's impossible!_

Ren saw the girl shaking her head so violently that he was worried she might topple something over. He approached her, "Mogami-san?"

"Kya!" Kyoko squeaked and jumped at the sudden closeness of his voice, accidentally smacking her knuckles against the scorching hot metal boiling pot. She recoiled with a loud wince.

Ren immediately took action and wrapped an arm around her waist, carrying her to the sink in an instant and twisted the tap on, "I'm so sorry, Mogami-san, I didn't mean to startle you."

"N-No! It's not your fault, Tsuruga-san! I was the one careless!" Kyoko argued back.

Ren blinked and sighed, "You have to be more careful, Mogami-san."

Kyoko froze after feeling his breath against her ear. If she had been blushing before, then she's definitely beet red right now. The feeling of Ren's arm wrapping around her waist and the larger hand gently grasping her scalded one heated her body. Her back was against the front of his firm body, and she could literally feel the muscles pressing into her.

She was reminded that Tsuruga Ren, no matter how much of a gentleman, is still a man capable of pinning her down effortlessly.

"T-Tsu-Tsuruga-san, uhm, I'm fine now. C-Can you please l-let me go?" She didn't forget to breathe, but she was stuttering so much that she was embarrassed.

He knew he should let go, but Kuon was giving him reasons not to. His gentleman persona was struggling to keep the beast in, but when he realized that Kyoko was actually aware of him as a man now, Kuon might be the dominating one.

When the man didn't show any signs of complying, Kyoko panicked inwardly, remembering the words Shion had said to her earlier.

"_You're going to a man's house to eat dinner, right?"_

"_But in the end, men are beasts, so if anything happens, just give me a call, and I'll be there right away."_

"T-Tsuruga-san?" The orange haired girl felt her heart pounding loudly against her ribs, and she feared that Ren would hear it. For the first time, she held a foreign feeling—she felt like she should never know about it— towards Tsuruga Ren as a man, not as the senpai she admires.

"Hm?" His deep, husky voice sent weird shudders down her spine.

Her face turned pale. _E-Emperor of the Night! Nooo!_

"P-Please let me go?"

"Why?"

'_Why?' WHY? Tsuruga-san, why are you asking me 'why'?! _She mentally screamed in dismay.

When the boiling pot made a gurgling sound, she thanked all the gods in the world for not forsaking her in the devilish grasp of the Emperor of the Night.

"The pot is boiling! If I don't get to it, I can't make a proper dinner! My objective today is to feed you the proper proportions, Tsuruga-san, or do you prefer to eat twice the amount?" _Please work on him! My heart cannot handle the Emperor of the Night any longer!_

That seems to snap him out of his clouded thoughts. He blanched at the thought of eating _twice_ the amount Kyoko always made for him, which is already a lot in his point of view.

He slowly but reluctantly released her, and she sprang from him and to the stove, where she got the pot and started twirling around the room as if a tornado, attempting to drive the Emperor out of the kitchen, which succeeded fortunately.

After Ren went to the living room, Kyoko heaved a sigh of relief, and immediately fumbled for her phone and texted her potential savior in a clumsy manner, fighting against the urge to flush red.

* * *

**So... how was it? I hope Kyoko and Ren were IC... The snippet of Shion's true identity... and just who is the caller in Chapters 8 and 9?**

**Please R&R!**


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N:**There you go! Chapter 11 is here! I present to you another revelation and Ren x Kyoko scene! I hope to collect more votes for '_ vs Sho' scenario before I officially start on it, so until then, I'll feed you with Shion x Kyoko and Ren x Kyoko!

**Disclaimers:**** I do not own any of the Skip Beat! characters, but I do own my own characters. Contain OOC elements!**

Please enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter 11: When dinner ends**

The night was peaceful. Well, as peaceful as it can get without a certain woman trying to extort money from him. That's what Shion had thought.

But he was dead wrong.

After Ren and Kyoko left for dinner, Shion and Yashiro had gone to grab dinner themselves, all while chatting about Ren and Kyoko. Actually, it was Yashiro doing the talking and Shion listening with a grin.

The boy had excused himself for a call, and Yashiro watched as his smile disappeared into an expressionless frown. He looked like he was going to kill someone, which frightened the bespectacled manager.

"I'm so sorry, Yashiro-san, but I need to go." Shion smiled sheepishly as he downed the fourth serving of tea, and placed some notes on the table, "It's my treat, see you!"

Just like that he was gone, like a ninja. Yashiro thought that only Kyoko was capable of doing that.

Shion marched down the street with long strides. _What the hell is that damned woman doing?_

That's when he spotted the café he was asked to meet up in. His blue topaz eyes scanned the exterior tables, and spotted a woman sitting casually with her leg crossed over the other.

He approached the woman with a growl, "I told you not to come out, didn't I?"

The black haired woman scoffed as she sets the cup of coffee down, her honey colored eyes glinting in amusement, "I never did appear before Kyoko, did I?"

Shion growled under his breath and settled down across her, "What do you want… Ikumi?"

The woman raised a hand and flagged a waiter, ordering one cup of espresso. "Well, I just wanted to see you."

The boy clenched his sharp teeth and glared, "How much do you want?"

"Hm?" The woman, Ikumi Yoshiko, blinked in surprise, "When did I say I want money?"

Shion looks at her incomprehensibly, "Then what is it? The only reason you would want to see me is for money, isn't it?"

She chuckled, "This time, not really. I want to meet Kyoko."

"No."

Ikumi looked exasperated, "Why are you so overprotective when it comes to the girl?"

Shion folded his arms over his chest as he waited for the waiter to put the cup down and leave, "Azuma wished for it to happen."

"Just because that man tells you to watch over her, you're willing to waste your life for just that?" The woman reached out and slipped his red tie against her palm, "Even after he made you a killing machine?"

His eyes narrowed dangerously, "He didn't. Azuma only wanted to protect us. I'm to blamed for everything that had happened then."

"Hmph." She shoved him lightly at the chest and leaned back as she took another sip of her coffee, "I only want to see her one last time before I leave for Hawaii."

"My answer won't change, Ikumi." The wolf boy then drank his espresso, not once cringing at the bitterness, "Or should I say Mogami Saena?"

The woman remained expressionless.

"Why would you want to see Kyoko-chan when you already walked out of her life when she was six? You even changed your name. Doesn't that mean you want to have nothing to do with her?" The boy questioned with a critical stare.

Saena glared at the wolf boy, "You're irritating. If I don't know better, I would've thought you hold romantic feelings towards that useless child."

"She's not useless. _You_ are the one who's always the perfectionist." Shion glared into her honey colored eyes coldly, "Kyoko-chan is fine the way she is now. She doesn't need you to mess with her life again."

Saena sighed. "Fine, fine. But tell me this much, and don't lie."

Shion lifted an eyebrow.

"I know I cannot love a child I gave birth to merely because of benefits, I hurt her because of my ego, and I hurt her because of my actions."

"What's your point?"

"…Is she… is she doing fine?" The supposedly dragon lady looked down at her lap shamefully.

Shion leaned forward and cradled his chin in his palm while his elbow propped on the table surface, "Yeah, she is. There are a lot of people around her, loving her and caring for her. She has a best friend, countless friends, one reliable senpai, and one eccentric but loving president."

Saena closed her eyes and smiled, "That's all I need to know."

Shion stared at the woman for a few long seconds before his cellphone chimed. He flipped open the white device, and saw that it was a message from Kyoko.

**If you don't mind, can you please pick me up at Tsuruga-san's house after dinner? I'm so sorry for troubling you!**

Shion was amused. _I guess she's more aware of that coward at the very least. _

"Hey, before you leave, give me the legal guardianship for Kyoko-chan." The boy said.

"You don't believe that I would just hand it over to you, right?" Saena smirked.

Shion growled, "Name the price…"

She lifted three fingers, "300 thousand US dollars."

The boy stared at her with wide eyes. _What the hell?_

"Kyoko should worth at least that much to you." Saena explained matter-of-factly.

Shion grinds his canines together as he stood up. _She's priceless, you damned witch!_ "I'll contact you when I get the money. Until then, don't initiate any contact with me or Kyoko-chan."

With that, he left with rage flipping his insides mercilessly.

* * *

Ren wanted to beat himself up. Why on earth did _that_ happen, he had a hunch. It all started when Kyoko acted strangely after she left her dressing room. It only escalated when he felt the softness of his lady love. Kuon escaped from his cage and took over his body.

He only snapped out of it when his body reacted unpleasantly at the mention of more food to his stomach. He left the kitchen without much hesitation, wanting to escape from that unplanned seduction on that girl's part.

A heavy sigh left his lips as he dropped his head into his hands. He was grateful to that boiling pot of spaghetti. He nearly did something he knew would've sent him down to hell.

He groaned at the lingering scent of strawberry and… His head snapped up and he tried figuring out what the other scent was. It was oddly familiar.

"Tsuruga-san, sorry for the wait." Kyoko entered the living room with a tray of food.

Ren swallowed a dry lump in his throat. How can he look at her normally after that? "A-Ahh…"

The dinner was awkwardly silent. Kyoko, being unable to handle the heavy atmosphere, let her eyes wander around the room, and spotted the remote control lying on the table top.

"T-Tsuruga-san, do you mind if I switch on the TV?" She flailed her arms.

"Sure."

She pressed the button, and she froze when she realized that it's a live performance by none other than Fuwa Sho.

_Eek! _Kyoko felt her hair stand when she felt the dark aura coming from her left. _Noo! Stupid Shotaro! Why do you have to appear during the most complicated moments?! _

Jabbing her thumb on the same button, she forced on a smile, "It seems there's nothing but trash playing on the TV…"

Ren lets a smile slip at that statement. Suddenly he remembered why that scent smelled familiar. It was men's shampoo!

"Mogami-san?"

"Y-Yes?"

"I know it's rude to ask this but…" He swallowed, "Why do you smell like men's shampoo?"

Kyoko blinked dumbly for a few seconds before she scratched the back of her head, "Uhm, it's probably Shion-kun's shampoo?"

Ren's mood dunked below bad, "Oh?"

At the increasingly anger, Kyoko sweated bullets while her grudges floated and circled around the actor, basking in his 'delightful' aura.

_Why is he angry again?! What did I do?!_

Ren felt like bashing the boy up. For the first time, Ren and Kuon had agreed on the same thing. That guy already warned him beforehand that anyone could come around and sweep Kyoko off her feet, and yet he can't do anything about it.

...There's no way he's going to lose to some half-baked feelings.

"Kyoko…" The orange haired girl snapped her attention at him, "…Can I call you that?"

"Eh? Uhm—"

"We're friends right? Can't we at least call each other at first name basis?" Ren insisted with the kicked puppy face he came to let on display only for Kyoko when they're alone.

Kyoko flinched at the face. _How can I say no to that?! _"I… don't mind."

The next expression blinded her calloused heart as she looked away with her eyes squeezed shut. Her grudges were screaming and dying away due to dehydration, begging for water.

"T-Tsuru—"

"Ren." The actor smiled, "I'll only respond to you if you call me that."

Kyoko looked at him with a look of shock and disbelief. _Is he a kid or what?_

"Ren…san."

The man nodded, finishing the last bit of spaghetti on his plate. _At least it's better than 'Tsuruga-san'._

The actress blushed and focused on her food. She just can't get used to calling her senpai so familiarly.

A few minutes of silence passed by, Ren stood up and collected the dishes, "Okay then, Kyoko, I'll wash the dishes, so just make yourself comfortable."

Kyoko was about to protest when her cellphone vibrated. She fished out her hot pink device and stared at the message.

**I'll be there in around ten minutes. How was dinner? Did you have fun?**

Kyoko mentally cursed the boy whom she came to consider as a brother-like figure. How can she possibly have fun when she is constantly basking in the Emperor of the Night's presence?

Ren returned with two cups of tea, and saw that Kyoko was glaring at her cellphone.

"Is something wrong, Kyoko?" Oh, how he loves that her name rolls off his tongue perfectly.

"Eh? Oh, it's nothing!" Kyoko snapped the phone shut and kept it in her pocket. "Uhm, Ren-san…"

Ren sat down beside her on the couch, "Yes?"

"…About Shion-kun…"

He wanted to scowl at her for letting the boy plague her mind, but looking at her deeply concerned face, he couldn't help but feel for her. Yes, he wanted to discuss about that scheming temporary manager with her too.

"Actually, I wasn't really crying because he teased me about this morning." She confessed, wringing her hands on her lap, "Last night, I was carried away by the beautiful scenery that I unintentionally questioned his thoughts of dying."

Ren couldn't prevent his mouth from parting open. _She had asked the same question?_

"Because he looked so alike to Corn under the moonlight, I unconsciously overlapped them together. I don't want Shion-kun to leave like Corn did."

Ren felt his heart ache in guilt and sadness. He couldn't possibly tell her that he's Corn, but that guy… if Kyoko actually saw Corn in Shion, then that would mean that Shion was created to look like him. But that's impossible, right?

"He will tell you when the time comes." He assured.

"Really? B-But what if he thinks I'm unworthy of such privilege? I mean, I _did_ invade his privacy twice." Kyoko then drank the tea, "I don't think he will discuss his problems with me…"

Ren could've been jealous. It was only two days ago that the two had met, and yet Kyoko kept thinking about him.

A frown marred his handsome face, "Kyoko."

The actress turns her head to face Ren when she froze at the warm contact. His lips pressed against the right end of her lips.

Golden orbs widened into saucers. Her grudges shrieked in disgust and started pressing down the box with their bodies.

_**NO! The locks! The locks are disappearing! Push, comrades! PUSH! Get new locks! Get them! Lock the box!**_ One of the grudges yelled, blowing on the whistle hung around her neck.

The countless blue colored demons roared out battle cries and divided into two parties: the ones pushing down the lid and the ones locking the box.

Ren withdrew and smiled, "Thank you for the food."

It was as if Valentine's Day happened all over again.

_**Damn this playboy actor! Master, get away from the God's favorite immediately! **_The commanding grudge warned, smacking on Kyoko's cheek to get her to snap out of it.

"Ah—"

The doorbell rang, causing the girl to spring up from the seat. Bowing waist-deep while stammering her farewells frantically, she grabbed her things and fled to the door, where she unlocked it and literally jumped out.

"Whoa!" Shion took a step back when Kyoko headbutt him in the chest. "Kyoko-chan—"

But she didn't let him finish his sentence as he was already dragged halfway along the empty corridor by a running Kyoko.

Back in his apartment, Ren sunk onto the ground with a heavy sigh.

_What the hell am I doing?_

But somehow, instead of guilt for taking advantage of the girl while she was brooding, and the fear that she would despise him forever for kissing her, he couldn't help but feel happy.

At least he managed to take a step closer to her.

* * *

**Hnngh... I hope Kyoko isn't too OOC here. I suppose you didn't guessed that Ikumi Yoshiko is actually Saena? Well, I didn't want to do that either at first, but I found it interesting, and thought of a scenario that will most probably happen in near future. Hah!**

**Please R&R!**


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: **I would like to announce the results of the votes for '_ vs Sho' scenario.

EDIT:

- Ren and Shion against Sho **3**** votes**

- Ren and Kyoko against Sho **1 vote**

- Shion only against Sho **1 vote**

If there are any changes to the votes, I will improvise. Otherwise, I would like to declare the start of the VS arc.

**Disclaimers:****I do not own any of the Skip Beat! characters, but I do own my own character! Contains OOC elements! WARNING! Mild gore up ahead (I don't think it's something teenagers nowadays shouldn't know anyway).**

Please enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter 12: Arrival of Summer**

"So…" Shion sat across a red faced Kyoko in her room, "Care to explain what happened?"

Kyoko fiddled with her fingers, wondering where to start.

Understanding her dilemma, he sighed and patted on her head, "Okay then. What got you flustered?"

At the question, the actress flushed redder, sputtering incomplete sentences.

Shion felt a little guilty. After all, he had been the one to tell her to watch Ren's actions. But for a stubborn girl like her, he'd need to use forceful methods to make her look at the things she just refuses to acknowledge.

"…me…"

He blinked, "Sorry, did you say something?"

Kyoko flinched, and looked up at him timidly, "H-He kissed me."

Shion dropped the cup in his hand, spilling all the tea on the table. Kyoko scrambled to get the napkins to wipe the tabletop.

"He did what?" The boy grabbed her wrist and looks at her with a frown, "Did he force you?"

"Eh? N-No! No he didn't! U-Um… he called my name and I turned my head, and then his lips landed here…" She pointed to the corner of her lips.

Shion released the grip and sighed again, "Right…" _As long as Tsuruga Ren didn't touch Kyoko-chan inappropriately, everything's fine. I have to protect her from any potential dangers. But, I have to bring them together before I can go see Azuma..._

"_Even after he made you a killing machine?"_

He froze efficiently. An image of burning inferno and sea of red flashed through his mind, chilling his blood icy cold.

"_How many… just how many lives have you taken so far?"_

He squeezed his eyes close, trying to shutting out the gruesome images from replaying. His nails sunk into the wooden table, startling the girl with a loud crack.

"S-Shion-kun?" Kyoko stared at the splinters sticking out from the surface.

Shion inhaled shallowly and looks at her, "Yes?"

"U-Um, a-are you okay? Y-You look pale." Kyoko tried not to stutter, but that look… Shion looks like the Demon Lord, in fact, he looks like he's planning to eat her alive, literally. Her grudges, instead of delightfully going to the boy, actually edged away, more so than they did for that denizen of hell.

_D-Did I offend him? B-But I just told him what happened!_

Noticing how the girl looked frightened, Shion placed a palm over his face and laughed shakily, "Sorry, I must be very tired…"

"Eh? Oh, n-no! I'm sorry for taking your time!" Kyoko was relieved that Shion wasn't angry with her, but still, she's worried. His face just turned pale in an instant.

Standing up, Shion offered a weak 'good night' before retreating to his room. He didn't want to remember the blanks in his memories; the reason why the Serbeasts were destroyed 15 years ago, the fragmental pieces of how Azuma left him 9 years ago…

He tried staying up the whole night, but to no avail. He drifted off to a restless sleep by 2am.

* * *

**He stood tall, thick blood dripping from his hands. The red around him told him that he was finishing what he had set out to do. The blazing fire in the house kept his system alive.**

"**What—what happened here?!" **

**His emotionless eyes shifted to the entrance, where he saw another human, accompanied by several other Serbeasts. He dropped the torn arm in his hand onto the bloody floor.**

**He didn't know who the man was. He looked strangely familiar, but he can't put a finger on it.**

**The man's chocolate brown eyes widened at the sight of a bloodied boy, standing on the crippled bodies of the other Serbeasts. "Shion?"**

**Shion moved towards the man, intending to finish him off, when several hands grabbing his ankles stopped him.**

"**Don't… hurt… father…!" **

"**Stop… Shion! He… is our… maker…!"**

**Distant, cold blue topaz eyes rolled to glance at the writhing androids. He merely shrugged them off and approached the man, reaching out a bloodied hand towards his throat—**

**He jerked to a stop when he saw hot, pearly tears rolling down the man's cheeks. **

"**Shion, it's okay, it's not your fault." Azuma moved forward and hugged him, "It's not your fault, Shion."**

**Light and comprehension returned to his eyes, "A…zu…ma?"**

**He lifted his hands up and saw the thick, red liquid staining them. He started trembling, "I… I did this?"**

"**It's not your fault, Shion, it's okay, you're okay." Azuma chanted soothingly, "We'll escape from here. I won't let you die here, Shion."**

(There was a loud and unstable static, and the scene moved on to somewhere else.)

**Shion crawled, his vision blurred and hazy, "Wait, Azuma! Where are you going?!"**

**The dark haired man turned back with a gentle smile, "I'll be right back, Shion. Until then, wait for me, okay?"**

**He watched helplessly as his creator, his father, his only family, left. The other Serbeasts were inactivated by Azuma. Shion couldn't understand why he was the only one that man left activated, only drugged.**

"**Wait… please, wait…!" He lifted an arm towards the retreating back of his 'father', "Azuma…!"**

* * *

Shion woke up with a start, his eyes widely opened and his pupils dilated. Breathing erratically, he slowly sat up, running a clammy hand through his hair. He sighed, feeling like a wreck.

_Damn that witch… and that psychic man! I didn't want to recall those horrible memories._

His half-lidded eyes glanced to the side, where he saw his cellphone blinking and vibrating.

Ignoring the phone seeking his attention, he stood up from his futon, his exhaustion disappearing into nothing but mere smokes.

He decided he needed a cold bath to clear his distraught mind.

* * *

Kyoko stares at the unmade bed, feeling a little surprised. She was always the first one to wake up. But today, Shion was missing from his bed, 5 in the morning.

Shrugging, the actress padded into the room to help him fold his futon when she saw his phone lying beside the messy bed. It was blinking and vibrating.

Finishing up whatever she was doing, Kyoko grabbed the white device and walked briskly down to the bathroom, where she knocked on the door.

"Shion-kun, are you in there?"

"Yeah…" He drawled, floating partially on the huge bathtub, his body stretched out in a relaxed manner. His tail beat into the water, making loud splashing sounds. "Do you need the bathroom?"

"Eh, uhm, that's one but…" Kyoko blushed at his oddly blunt question, "Your cellphone's ringing."

"Wait a minute." He growled, surprising her. _Is he angry? Am I being too nosy?_

Shion stood up from the tub, stretching his arms above his head. _Hot…_

He then went under the faucet, spraying some more cold water onto his naked form before he went and dressed up into a grey tank top with black rippling patterns and a pair of cargo jeans.

Pulling open the door, Shion looks down at a shocked Kyoko, who was holding onto his phone to her chest. He pointed to the device and smiled, "Thanks, Kyoko-chan."

Nodding hesitantly, she handed him the phone, in which he took and answered the call while stepping out to the store, which is still closed at early hours.

"Hello—"

"_Shion, you're going on a summer vacation!"_ Lory's voice boomed excitedly, making him hold the damned thing away from his sensitive ears.

"No I'm not." He deadpanned.

"_Aw come on, don't be such a spoilsport!" _The president whined, _"When you talk about summer, you think of the beach, the sparkling sea! Isn't it a perfect season for heated love?"_

"I'm not going anywhere. I hate the heat." He slumped sluggishly against the table at the counter, where Taisho stared down at him with his usual stoic glare.

"_Oh, but wouldn't you want to at least take a dip in the cold water? It's a good chance for you to take a breather." _

"Hm…" He actually contemplated whether he should go or not. It's hard to focus when sweat constantly rolls down every part of his body. He feels as if he's in a heated wok or something.

"I'll take up your offer, Lory-sama." He huffed and shut the phone before he even heard the celebration at the other side.

Shion then whined softly, "It's so hot…"

A palm rests on his forehead and pushed his bangs up. Shion looks up slightly with wide eyes, seeing Taisho with his trademark expressionless frown.

"You look like that gentleman Tsuruga." He remarked, absently rubbing his soft hair.

"Huh?"

Taisho shook his head and withdrew his hand, returning back to chopping the vegetables on the board.

_I was modeled after that 'fairy prince', so it's natural that I look like him. But Tsuruga-san… do I really look like him?_

"Shion-kun, you're sweating a lot, are you okay?" The boy turned his head to look at Kyoko, who just came out of the showers in a soft pink sleeveless sundress and knee-length denim shorts.

"I'm dying from the heat." He whined.

"Oh, would you like me to tie your hair up?" She asked politely, smoothing out the back of the neck-length hair in her palm.

"Yeah, thanks." He smiled cutely, making him look younger.

Kyoko smiled back, happy to be of use to him at least.

* * *

Meanwhile, Lory leans over the table where a ball globe stood. He spins the blue world globe and stops it with a palm.

He smirked at the name of the country for the perfect progressing of the pink emotion between his favorite individuals.

"Sebastian, help to pack some clothes and necessities for Shion." He turns around to face the tanned man, "And inform this list of people to leave a week off starting the day after." He handed the butler a piece of paper filled with names, "Don't forget to book a whole of the hotel."

Sebastian bowed, "I will see to it immediately."

Another smirk graced his lips as he walks over to the floor-to-ceiling glass window, "Let the games begin."

Sebastian looks at the globe, where the country Lory has his eyes on stood out…

Hawaii.

* * *

**There! I presented to you the twelfth chapter! This is the beginning of the VS arc, so I hope you will enjoy it.**

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	13. Chapter 13

**A/N:** I'm delighted to announce the start of the VS arc! As the majority votes want, this arc will be about Ren and Shion VS Sho. I'm sorry for the delay though, I was in a temporary slump :/ Please forgive me! Today **might** be the last day I'm updating this story, until I get the time to update. Don't worry though, I'm not dropping this one!

**Disclaimers:**** I do not own any Skip Beat! characters, but I do own my characters. Consists of OOC elements and mild language**

Please enjoy the thirteenth chapter!

* * *

**Chapter 13: Heat Rush**

Shion glared up at the blazing sun beating down on the earth disdainfully. He felt like he's into the prelude to some corny afternoon family drama.

He could somehow predict how all of this would go: long lost mother and daughter meets up accidentally, mother tries to talk to the daughter, daughter runs away crying, the man who loves the daughter finds her and comforts her, falls in love with each other; both of them confronts her mother and gets her blessings and they live happily ever after.

It wasn't that he didn't like the sounds of the ending, but the earlier part to it… He would rather to preoccupy Kyoko all day long for the whole week of vacation than to have _that_ happen.

Plus, knowing that girl, he knows that she's sure to twist some of his prediction… into something worse.

He watches as the list of people Lory had brought along ran past him to the glittering sea with cheers and laughter. He adjusted the headband suppressing his ears as part of his hair and sighed.

Shion, dressed in only a white sleeveless hoodie made from thin material, a pair of dark red swimming trunks and a pair of flip flops, turned on his heels and made his way back to the five-star hotel which Lory had Sebastian reserved the top floors.

In the distance, Kyoko stopped splashing water at Kanae when she saw Shion walking towards the hotel. Kanae and Chiori exchanged knowing glances before shoving the orange haired girl into the water.

Kyoko squealed as she fell backwards into the shallower sea. She surfaced with a gasp for air, shaking her head off the excessive water drenching her hair.

"Moko-san! Amamiya-san!" She huffed angrily before performed a lariat on them, pushing them into the water too.

The LoveMe girls resurfaced and shook their heads off the seawater and laughed heartily.

Kyoko was grateful towards the efforts they made to make sure she enjoyed the moment, but she can't help but be concerned with the wolf boy.

* * *

Shion stepped out of the lift and stalked to the room he's sharing with Yashiro. Opening the door, he padded to his bed, which is furthest from the entrance, and picked his white cellphone off the nightstand.

He flipped the device open and sighed.

"Damn it. I knew I should've gotten a plan with data roaming."

He turned around when he heard knocking. "Yes?"

* * *

Ren couldn't take it anymore. When that cosplaying president forced this one-week summer vacation on him, he was irritated. But when he heard that Kyoko was coming along, he was thankful for the meddling love maniac.

He wouldn't have thought that seeing an innocent Kyoko in a white bikini that basically covered all the necessary body parts would actually turn him on at the spot.

He was thoroughly embarrassed by his own body reaction and so he followed Shion's tracks and went back to the hotel, hoping to calm down before facing the subject for his… stiffness.

As he walked past room 1202, he heard Shion's voice.

He remembered how Kyoko had been staring at the direction the boy had gone for a few seconds before the other LoveMe girls dunked her into the water.

The conversation they had the other day came to his mind.

Twisting his body to the closed door, he knocked.

* * *

Opening the door, Shion looks up slightly to see Ren smiling down at him.

"Hey."

"Tsuruga-san." The shorter boy acknowledged with a nod, "What can I do for you?"

"I just wanted to talk." Ren shifted on his feet, "Would you like to accompany me for a walk?"

"Okay…" Shion steps out of his room and shuts the door, following the actor as he advanced towards the lift.

"Why aren't you with the other… celebrities?" Shion asked after an awkward silence. _Man, this is harder than I thought. _

"Ah…" Ren looked away, rubbing the back of his neck. _I almost forgot about my 'condition'… at least I cooled down. _"Kyoko was worried about you."

"…" Shion took the hint almost immediately, "Kyoko-chan… she's cute in that bikini, huh?"

Ren blushed. Shion smirked.

"I heard you kissed her?" The boy continued mercilessly without letting the sly grin slip from his face.

"Wha—h-how did you—"

"She told me." He snickered when the actor nearly tripped, "I would've given you a punch in the gut if you forced yourself on her."

"I wouldn't!"

"I'm sure you wouldn't." Shion shrugged, "She would've despised you forever otherwise."

The actor cringed at the thought of Kyoko hating him, and adjusted his military cap and his shades, "What about you?"

"What about me?"

"Do you love that girl?" Ren asked, glancing down at him with his Demon Lord eyes.

Shion stared up boldly, "Yeah, I do."

It was as if the world stopped revolving. The two of them stared at each other, but Ren didn't sense any rivalry opposition from the younger man.

"But…" Shion added while looking distant, "I'm satisfied with just staying by her side. She wouldn't want me anyway."

"What?" Ren lifted an eyebrow.

Shion wiggled his finger. Ren leaned down.

"Who would want to love a murderer, right?"

Kuon froze with wide eyes. For a moment he thought that he was exposed, but he realized that Shion was talking about himself.

"You… killed?" Ren whispered under his breath as he withdrew with an incredulous look.

Shion merely placed a finger to his lips and smiled coldly, reminding the actor uncannily of Natsu. "This is a secret."

When they heard excited squeals (Ren thought it was Yashiro clones), the both of them noticed only then, that they are in the center of attention. Normally, all Ren needs to do is flash them his brightest smile and he can slip away, but his presence in Hawaii is unofficial, similar to the other celebrities Lory brought along.

_Quick, improvise! _Shion kept his cool by flashing the best cute smile he can muster, temporarily blinding all the women around before he grabbed Ren by his arm and pulled him along.

"Celebrities sure have it hard." He remarked absently as they slipped into one of the buildings around.

"No shit Sherlock." Ren laughed dryly under his breath, accidentally letting the phrase slip as English.

Shion looks at him with a blank look while Ren stiffened with a frozen smile. _Oh, shit. _

"You…"

Ren held onto his breath, coming up with various ways to make the boy forget what just happened, one of which was to knock him out with a brain concussion.

"…Never mind." The boy huffed and crossed his arms, "I suggest we call Lory-sama to have Sebastian pick us up."

Ren nodded mutely, dialing the aforementioned president. He was inwardly glad that Shion didn't expose him in public. Yes, he is positive that the boy realized about his national identity.

While Ren made the call, Shion took the opportunity to scrutinize the building they're in. After one round of staring, he noticed that they were in some sort of a studio…

"Shion-kun?" The wolf boy jolted when he saw Kyoko standing before him with concerned look that could be considered as illegally innocent. She was wearing an unzipped soft pink hoodie over her bikini.

_Now I know why __**that **__Tsuruga-san falls in love so easily. _"Kyoko-chan, why are you here?"

"Eh? Erm…" She prodded her fingers together shyly, "I-I was worried about you and Ren-san, so…"

"You followed us?" Shion pressed a finger against her lips when she began to apologize, "It's fine, Kyoko-chan. You were just worried. We're not angry."

She sighed in relief and smiled cutely, "Thank you, Shion-kun."

Shion smiled back, "Why are you thanking me?"

"Moko-san said I'm behaving like a real actress now that I don't prostrate while apologizing." Kyoko glowed like a sun when she started ranting on and on about Kanae and her praises.

Suddenly realizing that Kyoko was not wearing any disguises, Shion covered her beautiful eyes with a pair of half rimmed shades, surprising the girl.

"You're a popular actress, Kyoko-chan. You have to be aware of that." He said.

Kyoko was about to deny when her grudges perked up and threw death glares towards the lift. As alert as she can be, the actress watched the doors very attentively until they slid apart, revealing a particular man.

Sashaying behind him is a professional looking young woman with wavy bronze hair tied up in a ponytail, her curvy body oozing with sexiness. Ren had returned from the call and stood beside Kyoko, all while staring at the man with an indecipherable look.

The blond man seems to be shocked for a few seconds before getting closer and closer to them with each angry step.

"Kyoko!" He bellowed, stunning the onlookers to a silence.

"Shotaro…" Kyoko seethed softly through her clenched teeth.

Whoever this wannabe punk is to Kyoko, Shion was 100% sure that he hates his guts. It was evident that Ren agrees with him, for the actor looked ready to pounce at the personification of arrogance and conceit.

Shion stepped up in front of Kyoko.

There's no way he's letting this little wannabe punk get any more closer to Kyoko.

* * *

**Muahaha! How was it?! I'm sorry if there's no studios in Hawaii. I just need it so badly. **

**Thank you all for your support!**

**Please R&R! 3 :D**


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N:**Surprise! I finally got the time to post this up! I was actually debating whether I should study first or write this chapter first, and BAM! There you go! I figured I would study like what, tomorrow onwards? I present to you the last chapter before I go on a study fever!

I'll post up the next chapter when I got the time, but I want you to understand that this year's exams are different: it's my finals for middle school, and it'll determine where I go in the future. I'll have a long break before school starts after the exams anyway, so I'll just make use of that time to post the chapters up!

**Disclaimers: I do not own any of the Skip Beat! characters. Oh, but I do own my characters. Contains OOC elements and mild-strong language (I don't really know how to categorize those, but I'll just put 'mild to strong' just in case). **

Please enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter 14: ShoTARO**

Sho was beyond furious. He had _specially_ asked for Kyoko in his PV. She should be honored and accept this job! How dare she decline?

Some actress from the same department accepted the job though. He didn't need anybody else to do the job! He will need Kyoko there for him to make clear just who she belongs to!

He noticed how that plain jade is getting cozy with that platform-shoe-wearing actor, and to say that he was pissed off is an understatement.

They had put the PV to a hold and Shoko told him to make other songs for the time being until they somehow get Kyoko to participate in the job.

So here he is, in Hawaii.

But he didn't know that Kyoko would be there as well. He just stepped out of the lift and she's just around the entrance, talking to some guy and Tsuruga Ren. Even with the disguise, there's plainly nobody else who can be as tall as that Ken-doll (Damn that height!).

That shorter guy actually dared to touch _his_ Kyoko so familiarly! How dare that woman let him do that anyway?! Isn't she supposed to be thinking about how to kick him down the top chart?!

When he realized that she was looking at him, he was shocked. How can that… that woman he always thought as boring, plain and worthless be so… so woman?

He didn't know that beneath all those clothes she wore is a succulent-looking body. Though her cleavage wasn't that of his type, her legs are certainly something that captivated him… wait, what?

_What the fuck? I was __**not**__ captivated! Yeah, she's just so ridiculous that I was distracted!_

_Damn that shape shifting demon! _

"Kyoko!" He bellowed, moving across the lobby towards her.

Only when that headband-guy stood in front of Kyoko and shot a chilling death glare that Sho found himself frozen on the ground, merely few arms away from his target.

_What… the hell? _The blond musician had to blink a few times before he got rid of the image of Tsuruga Ren overlapping the guy. That pinhead actor was just standing beside Kyoko, for god's sake!

"S-Shion-kun?" Kyoko whispered frantically. _There's no way I'm going to risk exposing Ren-san here in the public!_

"What do you need from her?" The headband-guy demanded hostilely.

"I don't need to tell you what I want from _my_ childhood friend." Sho retorted with a snort. He can't believe he was stopped by this nobody.

"Oh?" Shion lifted an eyebrow, as he turned to Ren, "May I borrow your cellphone?"

Ren looked down at him blankly, not comprehending his intentions, "Okay."

Holding the black cell in his hand, Shion turned back to the wannabe punk, "Right, so, who are you?"

The singer couldn't believe his ears, "What the fuck? Did you just say you don't know me?"

"Yeah, that's exactly why I'm asking you 'who are you'." Shion looks at the blond guy who couldn't be older than Kyoko.

It wouldn't even take an idiot to know that Sho is pitied. That sympathetic look the ochre haired boy is giving the musician is evidence, that, and he is actually holding onto an open phone, as if to search for his name any moment.

"Shion-kun, this guy is Fuwa Shotaro." Kyoko supplied innocently, sticking as close as possible to Ren and the boy.

"It's Fuwa Sho!" The blond growled.

"Fuwa… Fuwa..?" Shion knitted his eyebrows with a finger against his chin, "Who's that?"

That was a huge blow to Sho's over-the-clouds ego. _Which rock is this idiot born under?! _He thought angrily.

"I'm Japan's No.1 Musician! Remember that!"

"Hmm…" Shifting his feet, Shion hummed and made a sound of recognition, "Oh! You're that No.7 on the Japan's Most Desirable Men chart!"

If not for his public persona, Ren would've burst out laughing. The look on Sho's face was just so priceless that the actor couldn't help but cheer the wolf boy on.

Bending down slightly, Ren whispered, "He's also the man who called Kyoko 'plain and boring' and made her lose her self-confidence."

That was all Shion needs to crush this blond cockroach before them. He smiled despicably, "So… What did you need from her, ShoTARO-san?"

Kyoko muffled a giggle when Shion emphasized on the embarrassing syllable. Ren hid his trembling lips behind his curled palm.

"Damn you! You're doing that on purpose, aren't you?!" Sho yelled.

Shion tilts his head to a side in mock clueless, "What are you talking about, ShoTARO-san?"

"Why you—!"

A hand landed on the singer's shoulder, and the blond turned his head furiously, "What?!"

Shoko took a step back at the raw fury, "Sho, you're in public."

Sho huffed, slapping her hand away, "I don't give a damn, Shoko! I'm just here for Kyoko and this nobody-bastard is getting in my way!"

Kyoko was ready to send her projectile grudges to shut that idiot cockroach's mouth for insulting someone close to her when Shion chuckled.

"You're pathetic." Shion mocked openly, "I don't know if you're famous or not, and to be honest, I don't give a fuck about your popularity. I'm sorry to say, but men like you, who mistreat ladies however ways you want, are pieces of trash that do not deserve to live."

"What the fuck are you on about now?" Sho grumbled under his breath as he glared at the guy, who is taller than him by a few centimeters.

"I'm on about something that insects like you wouldn't understand until you get squashed by esteemed humans." Shion smiled sweetly.

Sho was about to deliver a punch to his face when he continued, "Oh and I don't really know much about showbiz, but since you're here being childish and creating a ruckus with nobodies like me, then I guess it's because you just don't put in enough effort to show some professionalism."

Shoko wanted to stop the guy from provoking the Deva King, but he has good points. Sho is immature, always selfish, self-centered and believes that everything revolves around him, especially things related to Kyoko.

"What the fuck? Here I am, bestowing the once-in-a-lifetime chance for a plain and boring woman like her to become even more famous. Who the hell are you to poke your nose into _our_ business?" Sho argued heatedly with clenched fists, looking ready to pound Shion in the face.

"They say there is no medicine to cure stupidity, I guess it's true." Shion shrugged in that American way that reminded Kyoko of Ren when he was talking to Bo.

Catching on to his plot, Ren smiled and patted on his head affectionately, "Well, Jiro, I think we shouldn't waste any more time and energy trying to talk to someone like him. Aren't we walking around the town to buy something for our cute little sister here?"

Kyoko looks up at Ren incredulously. _Sister? Ren-san looks at me as a sister?_

"Oh, that's right, Taro-niisan." Shion slung an arm around Kyoko's shoulders, "Let's go, imouto-chan."

"What the hell? Since when did you have an elder brother?" Sho was getting confused. He thought he knew everything about Kyoko's family background, "You're the only child and was aban—"

"Hey." Ren wasn't about to let him spout some personal information just in a spur of moment. He glared icily at the musician, "Shut the fuck up already. Don't you get it? You got the wrong person in the first place. Get lost."

"What the fuck?! There's only one person in Tokyo who knows about my name! Stop pretending!"

_Eeek! R-Ren-san! What are you doing?! _Kyoko screeched frantically in her mind. _Someone like the God's favorite shouldn't be involved in such petty arguments with lowly cockroach like that bastard!_

"Taro-niisan, let's go?" Shion whined, "I'm hungry."

Ren looks down at Shion, and they made eye contact. "Sure, Jiro. We can get your favorite Tsuruga Ren poster on the way."

_What the hell?! They're ignoring me?! _

"Good, good. Ah, now that I think of it, my 'friend' just switched his fanbase from Tsuruga Ren to Mogami Kyoko. I wonder if she's that good in acting." 'Jiro' continued talking, deliberately ignoring the fuming musician with damaged ego and pride.

"Mogami Kyoko? Of course she is great. I think she's the best actress I've ever seen. I love her acting." 'Taro' complimented, all while holding their 'sister's' hand comfortably, who is blushing like mad.

'Jiro' whistled with a sly smile, "Taro-niisan, why don't you just confess to her then?"

Ren went silent with his widened eyes and parted lips. The actress beside him flushed red in both embarrassment and something else.

"J-J-Jiro-niisan!" Kyoko hissed, "What are you saying?"

Shion smirks, leaning down to whisper in her ear, "Why, Kyoko-chan, aren't you curious just how 'Taro-niisan' will confess to you?"

"E-Eh?!"

"Jiro… I love her, but I don't want to scare her away." Ren couldn't believe he just said it out loud!

Kyoko couldn't turn redder than she is now. _Oh my god, Ren-san just said that L-word! Is he acting? Wait, he __**is **__acting, right? He can't be in l-love with someone like me! _

"OI! Don't ignore me you bastards! And don't you dare to touch Kyoko!" Sho reached out to grab Kyoko when Ren grabbed his wrist while Shion took on a defensive stance in front of her.

"**Don't **_**you **_**touch her, scum.**" They both growled maliciously.

"Just leave it already, Sho…!" Shoko hissed, her eyes darting around the lobby now full of onlookers whispering among each other. "We need her to agree to the PV, remember?"

"Tch."

Ren smiled gratefully at the poor manager before leading Kyoko out of the building.

Shion smirked triumphantly before he turned around to follow his 'siblings', "Ha!"

The trio, namely the Taro-Jiro tag team, left an enraged, frustrated and humiliated musician with battered pride and ego in their wake.

* * *

**Lol, so, basically I thought Shion was okay in this. Ren and Sho is IC too, I think. Considering what a brute Sho is, and how Kuon always slips out of control whenever Kyoko's involved.. I thought that it wouldn't be odd even if they speak a little of vulgarities. **

**How was it by the way? This chapter is most definitely not the last time Ren and Shion will be teaming up to 'bully' Sho, so be rest assured! **

**Please R&R!**


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N: **Hello guys! I'm just taking a break to finish this chapter up. I've written it halfway before the study fever, so I figured I should just finish this chapter up during my half an hour break. Geez, so much studying is driving me nuts. :/ There you go anyway, the fifteenth chapter!

**Disclaimers:** **I don't own any of the Skip Beat! characters, but I do own my own characters. Contains OOC elements!**

Please enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter 15: Harsh Reality**

Shion will never believe in things like fate or destiny. Everything in life are melded by humans' hands, they just need to realize it.

That's why he strongly emphasized Saena's timing for hooking him away into one of the alleys by his throat.

"You _really _have a bad timing, Ikumi." Shion grumbled as he stepped away from the woman in full Hawaii outfit which announces her intention to enjoy her break in the country.

"How would I know you would be here? You didn't tell me." Saena huffed, crossing her arms.

"Excuse me? I don't have data roaming." Shion snorted disdainfully, "Next time I'll get one."

"So, why are you here?" Saena asked with knitted eyebrows, "Don't tell me you—"

"I'd rather drop dead than to follow you here." Shion interrupted curtly with a frown before he rubbed the back of his head, "It's just a coincidence. LME's president made us come along for a one-week vacation."

"I should just meet up with Kyoko—"

"NO." Shion growled, "There's no way I'm letting you meet up with her."

Saena sighed and leaned against the stone wall, "So?"

"It's simple, actually. You just have to appear as Ikumi Yoshiko if you come face-to-face with her by any chance." Shion shot her a cold look, "Pull it through, Ikumi."

The woman shrugged, "I'm no actress, but I guess I can do that."

Shion scoffed, "Oh please! You're more of a cunning and sly fox of an actress than anything. It's like 'Drama's my life', or something."

"Was that an insult?"

"It's a compliment… in a bad way." The boy shrugged.

"I dislike talking to you during summer."

"Well, I dislike talking to you every single time." Shion shot back nonchalantly.

There was an awkward silence before the woman turned on her heels, "If you would excuse me, I'm going shopping with my family."

The wolf boy snorted before turning around, only to freeze when he saw Ren staring at him with wide eyes at the entrance of the alley.

_Ah shit._

"Just now… who was that woman?" Ren questioned slowly.

"An acquaintance." He replied coolly. _There's no way I'm going let my efforts go to waste here. _

The taller man's eyes narrowed dangerously, "Oh? She's an acquaintance who knows about Kyoko?"

"…" Shion glared back, "It's none of your business."

Ren stalked towards the boy and shoved him against the stone wall by the shoulder, "It _is_ my business if this concerns Kyoko."

"You just _made_ it your business." Shion grabbed the wrist of the arm holding him against the hard wall, "Don't interfere with my business, **Hizuri Kuon**."

Warm brown clashed with blue topaz.

The atmosphere crackled in pale hostility as the two males glared down each other. Kuon was a fighter who had defeated countless gangs in the past all by himself, but Shion was a heartless beast that mercilessly killed armed androids of his kind and humans (not that Ren knows about it).

To Ren, nothing else matters as long as Kyoko is safe and sound. He wanted to be the one to protect her, not anyone else. He doesn't want to regret again like how he did for the Karuizawa incident.

"Forget it." Shion sighed, pushing the actor's arm away, "I won't hurt anyone Kyoko-chan hold dear."

"What?" Ren took a step back.

"You're looking for me because Sebastian's already here, right?" Shion continued, "Tell him I'm going for a walk to cool down."

Ren took a few seconds to gather his disorganized thoughts before he called out, "Wait!"

But Shion didn't heed his call and disappeared into the sea of crowds flooding the streets.

* * *

Kyoko was having some sort of mixed feelings at the moment. She is scared, curious and worried at the same time.

When she was mentally panicking about Ren's unusually warm hand holding her smaller one, Shion had disappeared from their backs.

Ren suggested that she get into the car Sebastian drove to find them first while he searches for the missing boy. He was looking fine then.

But when he returned alone, he was smiling, but it was the fake one he always used to hide his anger. She wondered what happened, but kept it as a wandering thought. The stifling aura around her senpai was just too heavy that she couldn't talk about it.

"He went for a walk." The actor had said.

Truthfully, Kyoko was doubtful about the statement itself. Shion wasn't the type to go off on his own without telling anyone about it. Plus, her fantasy antennae are telling her that Ren's angry.

Scratch that, he was silently seething. That's obvious as her grudges were literally sticking around him just to bask in his unholy aura.

It was night time, and Kyoko lost track just how many times she had gone to Yashiro and Shion's room just to look for the wolf boy.

Every time she went, Yashiro gave her the same answer with the same apologetic smile: "I'm sorry, Kyoko-chan, Shion-kun isn't back yet."

"What? Shion-kun is gone?" Kanae looks up from the magazine on her lap.

Kyoko, hugging her pillow, nodded with a worried frown, "I wonder what happened."

"He isn't a baby you know? I'm sure he knows what he's doing." Kanae assured with her arms folded over her chest, "Well, if you're so worried, why don't you go ask Tsuruga-san what happened?"

Kyoko flinched with a blue face. "T-That's impossible."

"Why?"

The orange haired girl mumbled under her breath.

"Spill it!"

"He was so angry! How can I pester him about the very thing that most probably made him so mad?" Kyoko sputtered out.

_Ahh… that explains why she is so restless, this girl has a special ability to read Tsuruga-san's moods. _Kanae sighed, "How about this? I'll go with you, so let's make this clear okay?"

Kyoko's eyes sparkled in hope as she leaped from her bed and crashed into a yelping Kanae, "I love you Moko-san!"

"MO! GET OFF!"

* * *

Lory lit up the stick of cigar between his fingers and took a puff, exhaled, and glared at the young man sitting across him, "Are you stupid?"

Ren sulked, glancing away.

"You, who hate someone poking their noses into your business, actually poked _your _nose into _someone else's_ business." With each word the older gentleman spoke, it was like arrows to the bull's eye.

"That woman is someone who knows about Kyoko! How can I turn a blind eye and pretend I heard nothing?" Ren protested, only to be flicked between his eyebrows.

"_Are you stupid_? Just because Mogami-kun is involved, what gives you the right to demand an explanation? If anyone, it should be Mogami-kun herself demanding for it herself!" Lory reprimanded sternly, giving his own infamous Devil King face.

"But—"

Ren instinctively covered his forehead with a palm when Lory prepared for another flick attack.

"Ren, you're behaving like an unreasonable teenager." The older gentleman sighed, "Basically, you made him angry?"

Ren frowned, "I just wanted an answer."

"You got it. That woman you mentioned is just an acquaintance who knows about Mogami-kun. It could be that he talked to her about the girl."

His eyebrow twitched. Ren was unsatisfied with just that vague answer. But Lory is right. He isn't the one to demand for an explanation. He would have to tell Kyoko about it, and let her decide if she wants an answer.

"I understand." Ren nodded reluctantly. He just wanted to protect her.

Knocks rapped on the door and Lory called out an 'enter'.

Kyoko opened the door and peeked in meekly, "Um… I'm sorry for disturbing… um, should I come at a later time?" _Why is President the one to give permission to enter Ren-san's room?_

"MO! Just get your ass in and shoot it out!" Kanae pushed her dilly dallying best friend into the room and slammed the door shut behind her.

The two men were stunned by the actions of the irritated black haired beauty.

Kyoko fiddled with her fingers as she stuttered nervously, "U-Um, i-it's just… I-I wanted to…"

"MO!" Kanae looked ready to tear her hair out, "Tsuruga-san, where is that wolf boy?!"

"Huh?" Ren looked at her, confused.

"S-Shion-kun hasn't come back ever since then." Kyoko said, regaining her composure. There is something else more important than panicking about being in the same room with Ren. she'd been like this after that night at Ren's apartment. At least they're not alone.

"He hasn't come back? What about his room?" Lory asked.

"I-I went there a lot of times, but Yashiro-san said he isn't back yet." Kyoko answered.

"Hmm…" Lory rubbed his chin thoughtfully, "I think it's best if you explain to them, Ren."

The actor shot a look of disbelief to his godfather. _He's pushing this to me at a time like this? _

"It's your mess, clean it up." That was the only thing flamboyant president offered.

Seriously, it isn't helping, at all.

* * *

Stopping in his tracks, Shion looked around to find himself somewhere shady. Well, as shady as it can be with all the flashing signboards of the love hotels.

He sighed. He was so busy clearing up all the data of danger he considered Tsuruga Ren to be that he didn't notice the time. It's already night time.

_I didn't notice it before, but Tsuruga-san is really a nosy person when it comes to Kyoko-chan. _He mused silently as he continued venturing along the noisy street.

"Oh." He stopped once again when he was reminded of the hefty sum of money he needs to collect for that greedy bitch.

_Damn it, is she trying to make me rob the bank or what? _He looks towards the right and saw a group of men cornering a girl of Kyoko's age.

Oh damn it. Because of that innocent actress, he developed a sense of protectiveness towards teenage girls, especially those who are easy to be targeted.

He tilts his head to the left, then to the right.

…Well…

Screw thinking, he's going to kick some asses, oh, and politely retrieve some money as a thanks tonight.

* * *

**How was it? I'm sorry if the characters are too OOC. But well, I hope you enjoyed the chapter!**

**I'm going back to studying... again. *sobs* Adios!**


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N:***sighs* I'm really sorry for having you wait for a long time. This is officially my last time uploading before my finals, so please forgive me! I'll come back again once I'm finished with the exams, which is like what, 11 Nov? Yeah, basically that's the last day, but I guess with all the Graduation Night and all, I'll be officially back by 13/14 Nov.

**Disclaimers: I do not own any of the Skip Beat! characters, but I do own my characters. Contains OOC elements and mild gore/vulgarities/blah blah blah. You know what I mean. **

Please enjoy the sixteenth chapter!

* * *

**Chapter 16: Spoken words**

"And… that's about it." Ren had just finished explaining why he was behaving oddly, to Kyoko's simplest description, that morning.

The aforementioned actress sat on the couch, blinking dumbly at her senpai. He mentioned something about a woman who knows about her. If anything, she would've thought that it would be Shotaro's mother, but that couldn't be true. After all, Fuwa-san never liked going to places like Hawaii.

The next one on her mind is… _but, that can't be true! She left… she left when I was six! Why would Shion-kun know about her anyway? He doesn't even know me when we first—huh? _

She remembered that phrase he used before she mistook him as one of the Beagles. _Now that I think about it, he sounded like he knew about me…_

"Kyoko?" Ren was waiting for some sort of response from his lady love. She was so silent that he suspected that she stoned halfway throughout his explanation.

"Ah… um… I don't know how to respond to that, but Ren-san, didn't you say before?" Kyoko looked down at her lap.

"Huh?"

"Shion-kun will tell me everything when the time comes."

There was an awkward silence as Lory and Kanae exchanged expressionless stares. Both of them stood up from their seats, attracting the attentions of the couple-to-be (according to Lory).

"Well, have a nice chat." Lory smiled, "I will pick Shion up."

"Eh?" Kyoko looked at him in confusion, "Do you know where he is?"

"No. But I'm sure we'll work it out, isn't that right, Kotonami-kun?" Lory looked at Kanae, who sighed.

"That's the plan."

"But Moko-san—"

"No buts! I'll give you a call when we get him." Kanae patted on her head before heading out of the room with Lory.

An even more heavy silence settled in now that they are alone. Kyoko felt like her heart would jump out of her mouth any minute. _W-Why is this happening?! I-I'm not ready to be alone with Ren-san yet…_

Ren, on the other hand, was kind of nervous. He wondered if it's the aftereffect of 'behaving like an unreasonable teenager' as Lory had said, or is it because of the unintentional confession he made in public this morning.

_I have to say something._

"Kyoko." He called out softly, catching the girl's attention.

"Y-Yes?"

"About this morning…" He swallowed dryly. _How am I supposed to go about this?_

_This morning…? _Kyoko tilts her head to a side for a short second before she realized what he was talking about. _I-It must be about the confession!_

"I want you to know that it wasn't intentional." Ren said, avoiding eye contact. He had a premonition that if he made eye contact with the cutie honey before him, his restraints might just snap like a twig.

"Eh?" Kyoko felt a prick at her chest, where her heart is. She didn't know why, but she was upset. "It's fine, Ren-san! I'm sure that was just a means to stop that idiot from exposing our identities!"

Ren looks at her incredulously. _That's how she took it?_

"P-Plus…" She felt ridiculously angry with the idea that she unconsciously whispered. "You just see me as a sister, right?"

Ren wanted to scream in frustration, but alas, this is Kyoko: the denser than the densest object in the whole world living thing. He needed to approach this matter in a roundabout way, without alerting her too much.

"No, that's not it." He leaned forward, gripping his knees, staring at her intently, "That was also a part of the act. I would _never_ see you as just a sister."

When Kyoko blinked in confusion, Ren knew that if he did this in the usual way, he will never get her to see him as a man.

"_If you don't man up, then Kyoko-chan would be taken by someone else."_

His eyebrow twitched ever so slightly at the remembrance of Shion's words.

"I won't say that I regret it." He continued, reaching out to take her hand in his, "I love you, Kyoko."

Kyoko froze with her eyes wide and shocked. _What…? D-Did he just say…_

"I know you're still hurting, I know you're still not ready, but I can't bear to see you thinking about another man in front of me." He figured that since he came this far, he might as well make his feelings clear to her.

"Eh?"

"I won't need you to answer me right away." Ren tightened his grip on her hand, his brown eyes blazing with determination, "I will wait for you, no matter how long it takes, so…"

Snapping out of whatever that was clouding her mind, Kyoko withdrew her hand from Ren's unusually warm one, willing herself not to show any obvious expressions.

Ren felt as if a sword struck him deep in his chest, killing him. Of course she's going to run away. There were many times she did that, but this time, she's going for good. She'll never come back…

"Um… I…" Kyoko stood up and shook her head, "E-Excuse me!" With that she turned and ran out of the room.

Ren sat there, hopeless and miserable. He heaved a year's worth sigh and dropped his head into his hands. He wished he never said that. If Kyoko rejects him from her life, he will never be able to stand up anymore.

_What should I do now? I don't want to lose her…_

* * *

Meanwhile, a group of grown men cornered a girl into a dark alley, trying to hold her down when she started thrashing against their grips.

"Hey." A boy's voice called out from behind and they turned back with irate expressions.

Standing at the entrance was a figure with the hood of his sleeveless white top pulled over his head. The darkness shadowed his face as he started approaching the group, "It's a crime if the feeling's not mutual."

"Hah? Mind your own business, brat." One of them slurred.

The boy lifted his head slightly, showing them the dangerous slits of blue glinting murderously, "Sorry, I'm not in a good mood now. It's either you leave quietly or you die here."

With those words, he riled the men up. "Who the fuck do you think you are?"

"…" There was a brief silence before the boy raised a finger and wiggled it provocatively, "Enough chit chatting. Come at me if you don't intend to leave."

"You asked for it!" The five of them charged at him.

Dodging the first strike, the boy jabbed a fist into the first attacker's ribs, effectively cracking the bones and sending him back to the ground. The man coughed out blood painfully, cradling his chest.

The next attack swept the hood off his head, revealing his gold ochre hair. The boy smirked, showing his ivory set of pointy teeth as he ducked the lariat and smashed his head into the second attacker's jaw. A few filthy yellow teeth flew out from his mouth together with thick crimson liquid as he stumbled backwards, holding onto his fatally injured part.

"Damn it!" Shion heard the cry and glanced to the side just in time to see the silver flash from the third man's hand just as he lunges the pocket knife at him. The blade stabbed into the heart of his palm when he lifts it up to grab the weapon.

Closing his fingers over the fist, Shion applied pressure, fracturing the bones beneath the skin with his inhumane strength. The man yelped in pain, trying to retrieve his breaking hand.

Shion positioned himself and flung the man into the wall to the side, forming a miniature crater before lowering his bleeding hand to the side. His cold and expressionless face directed towards the remaining men, cowering together with shaking knees. One of them even formed a puddle at his feet.

They started apologizing incoherently for their insolence, not that Shion paid attention. He formed a mock-gun with his fingers, and pointed at them, "Get lost. The next time I see you again, you'll not leave alive."

With manly shrieks, the men fled, leaving their unconscious comrades behind. Scoffing, Shion pulled out the blade sticking through his palm and tossed it onto the concrete ground.

When the metal hit the ground, he heard a frightened gasp. Turning his gaze to the teenage girl cornered by the cowards, he flashed an assuring smile, "Go on. You shouldn't be loitering out here."

Nodding frantically, the girl stumbled and sped out of the alley.

Shion sighed. He was inwardly glad that he hadn't killed any of them. He bent down and started looting the wallets.

He clucked his tongue, "Just this much with the three of them combined?"

And then he heard the sound of things dropping along with plastic bags. He turned around and saw Yashiro standing by the entrance of the alley with wide eyes and gaping mouth.

* * *

**Right, with the suspense. Hang on for approximately one month and it'll be lifted. Entertain yourselves with other fanfics, mangas and animes! Oh, I'll introduce some animes to watch!**

_- Gingitsune _(One of my current favorites: caught my heart the first time I watched it)

_- Kuroko no Basket 2 _(Another of my favorite)

_- Strike the Blood _(This is not that bad, honestly)

_- Magi: The Kingdom of Magic _(Yeah, another favorite)

_- Golden Time _(RomCom :D)

_- Log Horizon _(MMO anime like SAO)

_- Tokyo Ravens _(Not that bad...)

_- Machine-Doll wa Kizutsukanai _(I like the main guy. Strong, doesn't blush easily when approached by girls sensually, namely his doll)

_- Kobato. _(Makes me cry every time I watch it. It's too beautiful)

**Well, yeah, basically, that's all I have atm. Most are new animes, but they are good. **

**Hope you enjoyed it!**

**Please R&R! **


	17. Chapter 17

**A/N:** Yahallo! I'm sorry for letting you all wait like this! Here you go, chappy 17! I'm so glad that even after the one-month-hiatus, there are still people reading my fanfiction! I think for the future chapters after this would be OOC for some characters.

I will need to retrieve my momentum from my writing break. But still, I might not be able to post actively for at least a full month as I'm going to work part-time soon.

**Disclaimers: I do not own any of the Skip Beat! characters, but I do own my characters! Contains OOC elements and language (you know what I want to say)**

* * *

**Chapter 17: Potential **

They had a little staring contest, in that dark alleyway, with three men passed out on the concrete floor, scattered around the ochre haired boy, who was squatting over one of their bodies with a thin pile of paper money in his hand.

Yashiro still had his mouth hanging open, his glasses reflecting the light to hide his eyes. Shion still stared at him passively, internally finding the most inconspicuous way to explain things.

"Erm…" Shion moved to stand up by placing a palm on the ground to support his body when a loud squelch echoed against the bricked walls of the silent alley.

That sound snapped the bespectacled manager out of his shock as his attention went to the source. A shade of blue covered his face when he saw a miniature pool of blood forming under the boy's hand.

"Shion-kun, you're bleeding!" He exclaimed, rushing to his side while pulling out a handkerchief from his pocket.

Shion lifted his bloodied hand and made a sound of recognition.

"I'll listen to what you have to say after we wrap this up, okay?" Yashiro started wrapping up the wound.

It was only after an hour later that Shion came out from the checkup room in the hospital nearby. He was sulking like a kid whose jar of cookies was taken away.

_And here I thought I could've used those useless punks' money for Kyoko-chan's guardianship… _

Yashiro stood up from the chair in the lobby and smiled at the boy, "How was it?"

"I'm fine, Yashiro-san." Shion smiled back politely, "The doctor told me not to use the hand for 2 weeks."

Yashiro heaved a sigh of relief, "It's good to hear that it isn't any major injury."

The boy tugged the hood of his white sleeveless shirt to prevent it from falling off, "So…"

Yashiro patted on his head and flashed a brotherly grin, "Tell me about it."

* * *

Kyoko was now back in her room, grasping her Corn stone within her palms with a desperate grip. She crouched over her knees and prayed incoherently even for her mind.

She was so afraid. The feeling was coming back to haunt her like a never-ending nightmare. She hated it. She hated how she's feeling this way. She hated how it's Ren that is making her feel this way. She hated how she's allowing all this to happen.

Most of all, she hated how she actually liked the feeling.

_Whatever happened to the representative of Japanese maidens?!_ She shrieked in her mind at her impurity.

The grudges in her are also desperately trying to suppress the Pandora box that was insistently trying to open. Even with all the thick locks, nothing helped to stop the advances.

Now that her mind's an utter chaos, the only thing that kept popping up is the person who's always supportive, protective, and important to her, the person who managed to become her elder brother figure.

_Where is Shion-kun?_

* * *

Ren sighed for the nth time after Kyoko ran out of the room.

He wished he didn't affirm his feelings for her. It made him feel as if he was forcing it on her, which most probably is true.

He sighed again. How he wished he hadn't followed that stupid wolf's advice and man up. It might've been a great deal to his pride as a man, but at least he wouldn't have to see that reaction he feared.

Kyoko was definitely becoming aware of his presence as a man, not as a senpai or as a fellow actor. Maybe that's what actually triggered his confidence.

He frowned deeply. _Where did that nosy wolf boy run off to at such predicament?_

* * *

"Huh…" Yashiro handed a can of orange juice to the boy, who's sitting on the bench in the park near the hospital, "So, basically, you just happened to find this group of old men trying to rape a girl, and you rescued her?"

"Yes, that's about it." Shion nodded as he gratefully accepted the drink.

"So… what of the money?"

Shion glances at the bespectacled man with an undecipherable look. "Well, I thought I would teach them a lesson."

"Isn't beating them up enough?" Yashiro eyed the boy with suspicion as he settled beside him.

"…" Shion looked down at the ground. He just remembered something unpleasant.

"Shion-kun?"

"You know…" The boy started frowning, "I've never brought this up, since I never felt the need to. It's also part of the reason why I'm protecting Kyoko-chan."

Yashiro blinked, waiting for the boy to continue.

Shion sighed. He was the one who brought it up, might as well finish the story.

"It's a secret nobody, not even Lory-sama and Sebastian knows, so, do your job and keep mum about it, okay?" Shion looks at the manager, who nodded in puzzlement.

Shion took a deep breath, and nodded to himself. "Kyoko-chan… I've been watching her since she was a child. I've been observing her, way before Azuma went missing and I was sent to live with the Hizuri couple."

_What? _Yashiro was shocked. _Why would Shion-kun be observing Kyoko-chan since then? _

"…There was a time when she went on a school trip with those useless pieces of crap she calls classmates. Nobody paid attention to her, constantly swarming around this pretentious little bitch they praised as the 'prince'."

The venomous tone made Yashiro wince. _Whoever made this boy so angry must be pretty bad, in various ways._

"Kyoko-chan was always chasing over that momma boy. That little fucker always treated her like trash, and yet he still had the balls to call her _his_ childhood _friend_. Tch, if I ever see him again, I'll pull his tongue out." That last part came out as a deadly mutter.

"So…? What happened?"

"They were sightseeing alright, quite typical of a school trip. But she was carried away by the flow of people swarming the street. That was when she lost those 'classmates' and was left wandering the street without anyone she knew."

Yashiro could finally link the story back to why Shion actually overdid in his 'punishment' for those old men. "You don't mean…"

"Yes." Shion crushed the unopened can in his palm, the content exploding like a momentary fountain and dirtied his hand and the floor. Yashiro flinched at the violent action.

"She was captured by some drunkards, dragged into one of the dirtiest and darkest alleyway. It was only alright that I was there observing her in the shadows. If I wasn't there, she would've been…"

He bared his fangs in the form of clenched teeth. Raw fury burned within his beastly blue topaz orbs. Shion was now just a carnivore wishing for carnage at this point to Yashiro. The older man shuddered.

"…Anyway. I was able to finish those old geezers without much effort and I managed to erase that part of her memories. All's well in the end, but I just can't stop being protective towards helpless girls since then." Shion tossed the wasted can into the dustbin just beside him.

There were bunch of questions Yashiro wanted to ask, but after seeing how the boy just vent his anger on a can of drink he wasted 200 yen on by making the content explode… he decided to leave it for now.

There was also one thing he didn't want to know, and that is Shion's definition of 'finishing' the drunkards off.

Clearing his throat, Yashiro stood up and smiled at him again, "Regardless, it's wrong to take what is not yours, Shion-kun."

Shion blinked at the man with a passive look as he stood up too. "Sounds like what a Good Samaritan would say."

"What?"

"It's nothing. Let's go back then. I hope Kyoko-chan hasn't been waiting for too long." Shion smiled back.

_Ehh?! He's only concerned about Kyoko-chan?! _Even though it shouldn't be too much of a surprise for him… since he just found out that Shion's a potential stalker to Kyoko for a long time now.

* * *

**I'm sorry if this chapter doesn't contain any excitement for you. lll**

**Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! **


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